Ratchet and Clank: Lost in Reality
by SweetTeaholic
Summary: Once you've saved the universe the only thing that's truly daunting is being trapped in a dimension wholly unfamiliar. Throw in a new threat and some unwanted allies and you'll tear the very fabric of reality at its seams to get home. Too bad the only one who can help you would rather kill you than watch you succeed.
1. Disclaimer

Welp this took shorter than I originally expected.

As I mentioned a month or two ago; I was going to return to LiR with rewrites of the old chapters. Well: here it is.

Basically, the overall story doesn't change much. Still takes after A Crack in Time as well keeping the same tone, characters and overall plot. Think of it this way: Different direction; same destination.

Chapter one through four don't change much other than some cleaning there and there but it's chapter five and so on where you'll see major differences in direction and flow as well as fixing up some problems I took issue in the older version.

The first chapter is up now while the second chapter will be up next week or so; but after that all the updates (both rewritten and new chapters) will be released on a monthly/bi monthly basis depending on much I can get done and roll out during the upcoming months being I plan on writing the new chapters once all the rewrites are finished so we'll see how that goes. This may even change to a bi-weekly updating schedule much later on into the story if I can get chapters done fast enough.

Hopefully the new chapters will be rolling out by 2017.

The old version of the story is still online on for those who want to see the changes made. I don't plan on deleting it at the moment but I will in time.

Anyways; I hope you enjoy this redux version of _Lost in Reality_ and if you happen to never read the old version: welcome aboard.

Love to hear from you guys ;)

 _~SweetT_


	2. Chapter One: An Unexpected Surpise

**-ACT ONE-**

 **-Chapter One: An Unexpected Surprise-**

Apogee Space Station, once home of famous explorer Max Apogee. He had vanished years ago during his travels through the Polaris Galaxy and his whereabouts still remain a mystery. His daughter, Talwyn, had been left under the care of Cronk and Zephyr, a pair of former war bots who had fought during the Great War.

It had been a few years since her father went missing. Captain Slag and the rest of his ruthless pirates raided their space station and stole a Lombax artifact. Her father went after them - but never came back. Rumors came around that he was dead, but she didn't believe it…

She knew he was still alive. He was out there, but she was left wondering where he could have gone.

In that time, she developed a strong relationship with the universe's greatest hero, known as Ratchet, as well as his friend, Clank. It had been two years since she had first met the Lombax. They had quite a few things in common. They shared a sense of adventure, both were risk takers and both would give anything to save those who they were close to, even if it meant their lives. But the thing they most had in common was losing their fathers.

Since the loss of her father, Talwyn thought she had no one else left to confide in. Yes, she had her guardians, and they were pretty much the closest thing she had to a family now, but still… Her father was missing, believed to be dead. Yet she was sure he was still out there, in spite of Cronk and Zephyr expressing their doubts on the matter.

But Ratchet. He never grew up with a family there for him and had been an orphan all his life. He really only had Clank when it all came down to it. And when Clank was kidnapped by the Zoni, Ratchet felt lost.

In the time they had fought Tachyon and searched for Clank, they had grown a strong bond.

Talwyn looked out the window of her room, staring out into space. The duo wound up staying at the Apogee Space Station since they didn't have anywhere else to go at the moment. Besides, Polaris had been home to many revelations - the Lombaxes, the Great Clock, the Cragmites, and so much more. Talwyn didn't mind that they stayed. She enjoyed their company and was glad to have them around as long as they needed.

Still gazing into space, she let out a sigh and turned the other way, leaving her room…

* * *

As she walked around the station though the hallways, she noticed Ratchet sitting on the ledge by the window. He was fixing a trinket that Cronk gave him. Being quite handy with his wrench, he thought he was the right man for the job.

Talwyn walked up to him.

"Hey," she called, giving a bit of a wave.

"Huh?" The Lombax turned around, and looked over at the girl. He cracked a small smile. "Oh, hi, Tal. What's up?"

"Nothing much, just thought I would check up on you. Where's Clank?"

"Cronk mentioned that he was helping him with something, didn't say what though."

"Oh, okay." Talwyn quietly watched as Ratchet continued to play around with the trinket. Silence brewed for a good ten seconds before she spoke once again, "So, um…"

"Almost done!" Ratchet finished tightening the last few screws and then gave it a good whack. The machine started running again, moving its gears at a fast rate. "There, that should do it…" He put the trinket down and rubbed his hands together, getting the dust off before looking right over to Talwyn. "You look quite pretty today, Tal. What's the occasion?"

She looked down at her green summer dress with black dress shoes. "Oh? I just felt like wearing something different today, I guess." Her cheeks turned a bit red. She didn't think Ratchet would say something like that, let alone notice.

"Well, it looks nice on you." Leaving a small smile on his face, he leaned back and dug into his pocket. Ratchet then took out a pocket watch, which was previously owned by Azimuth before his demise. He opened it, showing the picture of Alister alongside Kaden, Ratchet's father, as the gears moved around in a fragile, but sure manner. His smile quickly turned into a frown as he glared at the picture.

"You miss him, don't you? Alister, that is?"

Ratchet let out a sigh. "Um, yeah…" He then closed it, looking back up at Talwyn. "He was the first Lombax I ever was so much I could have learned from him - about my race. My father…"

He then looked back down at the watch in his hand, slowly putting it back in his pocket.

She wanted to comfort him in some way but she knew that no matter what she said she couldn't erase the pain. "Ratchet, I-"

A beeping sound started blaring around her waist, causing both to perk up in surprise.

"What was that?" Ratchet exclaimed.

Talwyn quickly silenced it, and then took her bandana off, tying it around Ratchet's head, covering his eyes.

"Huh? What you doing, Tal?"

" _Ooh_ , you'll see." She then took his hand and dragged him with her while she walked the halls. "No peeking now, got that?"

"Where are you taking me?" Ratchet asked, thoroughly perplexed.

She didn't say anything for the whole walk until she stopped; still gripping his palm. She then knocked on the door. "Cronk? We ready?"

"All ready, Ms Apogee!"

"Ready for what?" Ratchet's ears went down in a bit in confusion. "Okay, what's going on?"

She heaved him into the dark room. She then took off the blindfold. "Okay, open your eyes." The lights went on, roaring a yell which what sounded like a huge crowd…

" _ **Surprise!"**_

The Lombax's ears popped up from the excitement. He looked around the room; surprised to see it full of people. "Whoa, What the-"

"Happy birthday, Ratchet." Talwyn followed her words up with a peck on the cheek.

Turning red, his ears again popped up from the unexpected kiss. "Wow, um thanks guys," he muttered, after touching his face with his hand.

"Hey there, Birthday Boy," said Captain Qwark, walking up from behind and picking up Ratchet by the neck. "How does it feel being a year older?"

"Qwark, you're…choking me!"

"Oops! Sorry, Ratchet!" He dropped his Lombax pal to the ground, shrugging sheepishly as Ratchet struggled to regain his breath. "Just got a bit over excited."

"Yeah, I can see that." Finally catching air into lungs again, he looked up at the muscle-bound hero. "Did you get Snowball tamed? I know it…almost ate you that one time."

Qwark looked outside the window, seeing his pet War Grok thrashing up a few ships with its fist. "Yeah, she's tamed," Qwark said, gearing his eyes back to back to Ratchet, failing to hide his unease. "Oh, that! She was just a little eager, that's all. Good thing that Vullard ship came along to pick us up." He ended with a small nervous chuckle as he looked back out.

"Right." Ratchet looked the other way over to where Talwyn was sitting, talking to the Plumber and Cronk. Qwark eyed Ratchet, who he was looking at, and then back at him. Seeing his expression, he thought he would give a few words of _'advice.'_

"She looks quite beautiful, doesn't she?" Qwark mouth took on a big cheesy grin as he put his face in Ratchet's. "She reminds me of this foxy young thing I met once while filming My Blaster Runs Hot! A little bit of a thing, but her personality could span light years!" He then gave the lombax a little nudge. "C'mon birthday boy, you have to lay down the moves."

"Wait, _what_?!" His ears popped up, trying to grasp what Qwark was talking about.

"Oh, come _on_ , you know who I'm talking about," Qwark whispered, eyeing Talwyn before gazing back at Ratchet. "You know you want-"

"Whoa! Hey, we're just friends!" Ratchet interrupted, giving him an eerie look.

" _Sure_ you are! Believe me my friend, if there's one thing this captain knows about, its love."

After saying it proudly, Ratchet put his palm on his face, shaking his head slowly, "Yeah, well, 'captain of love,' maybe you should give your advice to someone else with girl trouble. We're just friends, you know that."

"Oh suit yourself. Hide your feelings if you must, but I know what you're thinking in that little Lombax head of yours." He put his finger on the furball's forehead as he said his last words, grinning once more. After he finished speaking he turned around back to the window and saw Snowball eating the metal off some space cruisers. "Um, excuse me, Ratchet. I've got some, er, _business_ to attend to."

Qwark quickly ran out of the room shouting to his pet, even though he wasn't even close enough for Snowball to hear him. Ratchet just shook his head, watching the guy leave.

While Qwark wasn't the wisest person out there, the Lombax still had a soft spot for the guy. Maybe it was because he had to put up with him for so many years…

…Though that didn't mean he wouldn't at least want to whack the guy on the back of his head sometimes.

As he looked back at Talwyn he then heard a little voice from below him…

"Hello Ratchet."

The Lombax's ears went up a bit after hearing the voice before looking down.

"Oh, hey there Clank."

Clank looked up to his taller companion with a small smile. "Happy Birthday."

"Thanks, pal." Smiling back, he looked around the room, amazed with all the decorations and people that were there. "I have to say, everything looks great. So, you planned this whole thing, did you?"

"No, it was Talwyn who planned it all; I just helped out with setting up."

"Oh? Well, um, she did a good job."

"Yes, she did." Silence spanned for five seconds between the two of them before Clank decided to start a conversation again. "So, what was Captain Qwark talking to you about?"

"Oh, nothing really…" He didn't bother looking over to him as he spoke, feeling awkward talking about the chat he and Qwark had.

"Is there something wrong Ratchet? You have been pretty quiet for the most part."

"No, there's nothing wrong. I'm just thinking." He stared out into space for a second or two before looking back down to Clank. "Sorry I'm not too talkative tonight."

Clank smiled, even though on the inside he was worried about him. It had been four months since the Great Clock event. After Azimuth passed on, Ratchet was quieter than usual.

Clank knew Azimuth was the closest thing he had to a father even with the limited time they shared together. There was so much Ratchet wanted to know but never got the chance.

He then looked outside the window, seeing Qwark trying to get his pet to obey him, though it wasn't going too well.

"Down Snowball, down!"

Clank shook his head, glancing back at Ratchet without a word. He knew something was bothering him. He thought it was best to talk to him about it after the party. Right now he just wanted him to try to enjoy himself…

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Vela Sector on planet Torren IV …

* * *

Molonoth Fields. It was once the home to the Fongoids.

That was, before they left their civilization and technology behind. It was never known to most why they did, but it was taken under the Vullards, becoming the biggest junkyard in the Polaris galaxy.

They imported junk, they exported junk - their whole profession was just working with junk. However, although it was all just junk made out of once used technology, they treasured it…

* * *

The air was chilled that very night. A wormhole appeared within open space where no one was around. Walking out was a mechanical body. As the portal slowly closed, he looked around with his one eye to see if the coast was clear. The last thing he wanted was people learning about 'their' plans.

After a quick scan, he opened up another portal, this time with robotic soldiers coming out in the same black and red colors he was wearing. As they were arriving, he started to pace in the opposite direction.

Coming to a halt, a Vullard looked up to him greeting the stranger.

"Hello Outsider, what brings you here?" he asked in a polite yet cheerful tone.

He glared at the creature. "I'm here to gain entry into the Hollow." His voice was deep, bearing a tone that would cause anyone to feel chills running down their spine. His band of soldiers came up behind him as they looked at the civilian with their glowing red eyes. In spite of their intimidating presence, the Vullard remained composed, not seeing him or his troops as a threat.

"Sorry Outsider, but the Hollow is off limits to those who do not work here. You will have to find it on your-"

The visitor quickly grabbed him by the neck, not taking his cheerfulness lightly as his free hand charged up an electrical pulse. "Give me entry now, or meet your doom!" He commanded, grinding his teeth in irritation from the answer he was given.

"Now, now Outsider; there's no need for violence. Please understand tha-" Not letting the Vullard finish his words; Vorselon electrocuted him as his blood splattered on the wall near by. The current coming from his hand died out. Dropping what was left of the body, he kicked it out of the way, not caring where he laid.

"Pitiful creature…" Not having any regard for the victim, he slowly turned around facing his army. "Storm the Hollow, and kill anyone who refuses to co-operate. Those who do will face my judgment."

He slowly slithered over to the control panel and fiddled with the buttons. As the entrance to the Hollow opened up, he put on a grin, softly laughing…

 **-End Chapter One-**


	3. Chapter Two: A Nefarious Mind

**A/N:** Surprisingly, I ended changing a lot of the dialogue from the older version, more or less so during the Lawrence part and Talwyn. Otherwise everything is the same that it was in original version other than some tuning.

Shoutout to sltheoneandawesome on Tumblr for helping out as a beta and editor.

 **-Chapter Two: A Nefarious Mind-**

Equilibrium Mental Institution: a little space station for the insanely ill. The worst of the worst are sent here and about over a thousand employees in the institute kept everything under control. Cacophonic laughing and screaming loud enough that it kept the hallways awake with noise.

Security was tight, almost on par with Zoodom Prison as the Polaris Defence Force would send inmates who were too much of a hassle for standard containment. There had been many attempts to escape this horrid place, but only one person in past records had been known to succeed...

There was a batch of patients they had to care for, but one person in particular was being held here…

* * *

Nefarious looked up to the ceiling of his fully padded room. His left eye twitched from the rage that was bundled up in his circuitry.

He was held here for the last four months after his defeat at the hands of his arch nemesis. Luckily he slid off of that ship before it collided with the space station, though he started to view it as a curse considering the condition he was in now.

His hands were tied by the straitjacket restraining him and he couldn't break free from it due to his defenses being shut down. If anyone was to blame for him being stuck here in the first place, it would been his oh so 'trusty' servant…

* * *

 _Nefarious attempted to focus his eyes, only to realize that they were missing._

" _Argh. Have to switch to radar..."_

 _The dish inside his head pointed forwards, using sonic sounds to help him figure out his surroundings. Little by little he got up; trying to keep his balance right from the dents he had in his legs. Almost everything was beaten up, likely from the explosion that caused him to drift through the cosmos. His whole body was warped, along with a few cracks and openings exposing his insides._

 _Holding onto a pole, he held his head where his scar laid. Finally getting his balance straight, he let go of the light post and then stood up instantly despite his limp._

" _Lawrence!" He yelled at the top of his voice box, calling his butler's name. No answer was received. Nefarious yelled again, and started 'looking' around for Lawrence, but he was nowhere in sight._

" _Lawrence? Lawrence, where are you?_ _ **Lawrence!**_ _"_

 _He didn't remember what happened back at the space station after his defeat. Didn't help he was a brain dead radio at the time._

" _What the heck happened anyway?"_

 _He hadn't seen the need to update his radar over the years, leaving him with a rather crude piece of technology. As he approached a pole the faulty radar system led him to believe it was someone he knew._

" _Oh, hello mother, fancy seeing you here!" The pole said nothing, as would be expected._

" _Mother?"_

 _Still no reply._

" _Arh, fine, you were never the talkative type." He walked off in frustration._

 _Scratching his head, Nefarious heard humming from behind his back. Turning around he 'saw' the Plumber, fixing some plumbing issues in one of the Vullards' kiosks that are often kept on their moons. Nefarious walked up with his balance still droopy, trying to be as polite as he could._

" _Umm…Excuse me?"_

 _The Plumber jumped up a little before turning around to the mad doctor. "Oh, ya startled me for a moment there." He looked at the robot for a second. "Hey, yer that Doctur Nefayrious fellow, ain't ya?"_

 _Nefarious was still scratching his head in confusion. "Yes, that would be me."_

" _Heh, the galactic attorneys were lookin' for ya the whole week. Couldin' find your body or anythin'."_

 _The robot was still baffled. "Where am I?"_

" _Oh, you?" the Plumber said in a cheerful tone. "Yer on one of them moons here in the Phylax sector. Don't mind me, though; I'm just fixin' the Vullards' plumbin', me bein' a plumber and all." He took a closer look at Nefarious. "Ya missin' yer eyes?"_

" _Yes, I can't tell a Sandmouse from a Snagglebeast without them!"_

" _Well, I happened upon these optical receptors the other day. Think they may be yers?" The Plumber put them in Nefarious' hand and he quickly put them into their sockets. He blinked a few times before gaining proper sight again._

" _Why, indeed they are! I can see!" He turned to the Plumber. "You may be spared when I take over the universe!" followed by a sinister laugh._

"… _may be spared." The Plumber gave a small laugh as he turned back around humming, returning to his work._

 _Having full eyesight again; he noticed that one of his pipes around his chest was dangling down, while most of his lights on the rest were dim if not even working at all. The same applied for other parts of his body as well._

 _He quickly discarded that fact however. Nefarious was still baffled with his situation and where Lawrence could have gone. He trusted his butler to be around. He would have no reason to abandon him otherwise._

 _Would he?_

 _He shifted his eyes back over to the plumber. "Do you happen to know where Lawrence went?"_

 _Still having his back facing him, he rubbed his beard as he pondered. "Lawrence... Lawrence? Oh, that butler guy yer always with! Nah, I haven' seen him around here. Didin' find his body neither. I did see a little ship flyin' before that space station of yers blew up. Looked like an escape pod. I swear I saw someone that looked just liked him in it. Could be mistakin' though. Oh well…"_

 _As the plumber returned to his work, Nefarious' pupils widened._

" _What do you mean by_ _ **escape pod**_ _?"_

" _Oh, I don't know, it was hard to tell. I was flyin' to get to work and noticed a little ship blastin' off from a saucer of some sort. Also saw that Lombax fellow on it as well. He jumped off to another ship before it collided with the station."_

 _He heard enough. Nefarious' right eye started to twitch as his fist shook with anger._

 _His own butler, someone he trusted for so many years, left him on his own ship to fall his death without a second thought. Purple energy came from his hands as his rage builded up. "Lawrence…" he growled his assistant's' name to himself in a soft yet growly tone._

" _Who knows where he could be now. Hey, ya mind handin' me that-"_

 _Before he could finish his own sentence, Nefarious threw a ball of dark matter unintentionally at the Plumber, nearly hitting him. The scientist screamed out Lawrence's name once more as he engaged his hover boots and wings. One of his wings managed to partially retract while the other completely failed to deploy. He flew right out into space with the hopes of finding his former partner so he could rip him apart limb by limb._

 _His flight was awkward due to his malfunctioning wings, but he didn't care. All that was on his mind was the thought of making Lawrence pay for what he did to him. Oh, he wanted him to pay_ _ **dearly**_ _…_

 _The Plumber rubbed his head as he watched Nefarious fly off._

" _Remind me to be careful what I say in front of that guy if I meet him again…"_

* * *

 _The sound of rock music filled the room. Lawrence and the rest of his band were practicing for some upcoming gig at the Moonlight Lounge. After playing the tune, he put down his bass and faced the rest of the members._

" _Okay, take five."_

 _As his team left, he picked up his instrument again and played it a bit for himself. He was trying to write another song since 'Bass Odyssey' had gotten some good feedback._

 _The last nine days since Nefarious' death had treated him well. Sure, he was the one who left him on the saucer. Not because there was no time to help his boss, rather he acted out of spite..._

 _Every waking second of his day, Nefarious would scream into his ear and order him around in the worst possible way. Sure it was his job, being his butler and all, but for all of his boss' intelligence; he wasn't the most 'street smart'. The lack of common sense was his downfall, as well as the pain that made up Lawrence's life._

 _There were good times though that made his job a bit easier. Making snark comments about his employer that fell on deaf ear and the many times the doctor froze up and needed a good whack on the head when he wasn't even aware of it. That was always the best part of his day._

 _After the escape pod took off, Lawrence regretted nothing. He didn't care if Nefarious was dead or not - he wanted it that way. With his new found freedom, he prayed that he would be able to spend every waking moment of it feeling alive._

 _He was spaced out the whole time that he almost didn't realise that the door was thrown open. He was finally bought back to reality by an awfully familiar shriek coming from behind him._

" _ **Lawrence!"**_

 _ **That**_ _very awful shriek._

 _No, it couldn't be him, he was dead._

 _Lawrence continued once again to play his bass until he heard it again, but this time louder. There was no way he could ignore it now._

" _Lawrence! Turn around right now!" Lawrence did as commanded of him, maintaining his calm in spite of how shocked he was by what he was seeing._

 _Nefarious gave him an evil glare. Lawrence immediately knew how enraged he was just by looking in his eyes._

" _You're_ _ **alive**_ _?!" His surprise finally got the best of him but he composed himself so quickly that it was impossible to catch. Lawrence cleared his throat. "I mean, you're alive sir…"_

 _Nefarious was leaning on a pile of instrument cases with his arms crossed, tapping his foot while he gave him a fierce look, not showing any amusement at all._

" _Yes, Lawrence, I'm alive, right here in front of you…" Nefarious replied in a sarcastic tone. He gave a good look around, giving a small smile. "Nice place you have here."_

" _Yes, it is, sir, though rent could have been a bit lower," the butler bot talked as if nothing happened; like a normal day at work. Sure, he was freaking out on the inside but hell if was he going to show that. "Regardless; it is good to see you are still in one piece, Sir. If I knew you were alive, I would have came back for-"_

 _It didn't take along for Nefarious to burst out laughing as the words came out of Lawrence's mouth. He knew downright he was lying, debating if he should find that fact either cute or pathetic._

 _Lawrence's expression didn't change in the least. All he did was watch his maniacal friend crack up. Not that he wasn't already off his rocker..._

" _Oh, that's funny, Lawrence. That's_ _ **really**_ _funny." His laughter got louder as he held his head where his scar laid, with his other hand holding the crack on the side of his stomach in his amusement._

 _Lawrence just looked around the room, trying to figure out what he found so hilarious._

" _Um, sir, are you alright?"_

 _The mad robot's cackling finally calmed before paying his attention back to Lawrence. "Oh, yes, I'm feeling great. Yeah, I've got a few scratches and all, but nothing that can't be fixed." He then went back to laughing though not as violently as before._

" _Well I'm glad to hear that sir…" Lawrence then turned his back on him, only now starting to worry. He knew he was hiding something from him, and whatever it was, it could not be good…_

 _Nefarious left his humorous tone as it moved onto a serious one. "But, there is one little, bitty, small thing that I am a bit annoyed about." He looked over to Lawrence with a smile._

" _What would that be sir?"_

" _Oh, I don't know. I was kind of traveling around in space for a while until I learned something from a little birdie…" He softly snickered and then turned back over to his servant. "You know, the fact you…_ _ **left me on that saucer!**_ _" He yelled furiously, with both his hands sparking with dark energy._

 _Lawrence started taking a few steps back as the mad doctor walked closer to him, calmly trying to sway him. "Sir, please, it was all a misunderstanding."_

" _A misunderstanding, huh?" The energy from his hands enlarged as he put his face in his friend's. "That's funny you say that, since that's not how I see it…"_

" _Please, sir, forgive me. I really would have come for-" A ball of dark matter flew at him, and Lawrence swiftly ducked before it could do him any harm. He looked over at Nefarious, watching his master's face full of rage as he prepared to throw another attack. Lawrence tried running away, causing him to trip on one of the wires in the room._

" _Sir, I didn't mean what I did. I swear."_

 _Nefarious then fired another ball at him, which barely hit Lawrence as he rolled out of the way. He got back up and tried to find a place to hide while balls of energy flew around the room._

" _Lawrence!"_

 _His servant hid under a desk hoping he didn't spot him before hand. Lawrence took out a cell from his pocket and started to dial a number._

" _Come on, Lawrence, I just want to discuss things with you, that's all…" Nefarious followed his sentence with a small chuckle, with the energy from his hands dying down a bit. "We did have some good times now, didn't we? Now why don't you come out? I won't be_ _ **that hard**_ _on you!"_

 _After waiting for a good few seconds, the phone finally picked up with a voice coming out from the other end. "Hello, Equilibrium Mental Institution…"_

" _Yes, hello, I'm having a slight problem…" Lawrence turned around for a second and continued talking on the phone._

" _This about the one you reserved a room for?"_

 _Nefarious scanned the room, not seeing Lawrence anywhere in sight. "Pff, Lawrence, you know I don't like games." Still figuring out where he could be, he looked over to the desk his acquaintance was hiding under, putting on a smirk. "Fine, you want to play hide and seek, then we'll play hide and seek."_

 _After hanging up the phone, Lawrence heard a few footsteps coming his way. He was surprised how calm he was able to remain during the whole grim situation. Nefarious wasn't one to mess with, he knew that; but to have to experience the fury he would put down upon his enemies..._

 _The steps became louder, causing him to shut his eyes from the mere thought of what was about to happen. After a few seconds though, he was met with silence. There was no more clanking. He opened his left eye first, then the other after as the seconds went by._

 _He questioned why his former master walked away. Maybe he didn't think he was under the table, or perhaps he gave up? Still, the feeling of relief was upon Lawrence and he let out a sigh. However that feeling soon went away as the desk was kicked out of the way._

 _He turned over to Nefarious with his eyes large and twitching with the fury that filled him. Even though Lawrence was frightened, he didn't show it. If he was going to go out, he was at least going to do so with some dignity_

 _He tried one more time to see if he could manipulate the doctor..._

" _Sir, if you would tone it down for just a second, perhaps-"_

" _I find it hilarious that you're still trying to talk your way out of this Lawrence, when I_ _ **know**_ _it's only an act…" The energy flared up again giving out a small, yet volatile laugh. "Of all the years I trusted you, I should have picked up on it sooner. Don't worry though; it'll all be over in a sec-"_

 _Before he was able to throw another assault, something shocked him from behind. His body froze as the power from his hands died out. After a few more seconds in this state, Nefarious fell right on his face as Lawrence watched him go down. Swiftly getting back up, he looked at the people by the door, tasers in hand._

" _Oh, thank_ _ **goodness**_ _you've arrived. It was getting a bit rowdy around here…" Lawrence brushed whatever dust was on him; looking down at his employer losing consciousness. "My apologies sir, but please understand this is for your own good."_

 _Nefarious looked up at him while his vision grew dimmer and dimmer by the seconds. "I'll kill you Lawerence…I'll…kill..."_

 _His eyes finally closed as his body shut down…_

* * *

 _His eyes opened up once again. Nefarious' sight was still weak, but it was enough for him to see the blur of the heavy robot in his wake. It was Lawrence._

" _Glad to see you awake sir. You took quite a fall back there…"_

 _He slowly regained his vision as he looked around the room. "Lawrence, what did you -" He then jumped up after finishing scanning where he was. "Huh, what? Where am I?! What is this place?!"_

" _Equilibrium Mental Institution sir," he said calmly as he spoke to Nefarious. "I thought it was for your best interest."_

" _Best interest! What interest?!" He tried to move, but when that failed he looked down at his body – and found out he was in a Carbonox-stitched straitjacket. "Lawrence what is this about?! Why am I here?!"_

" _Oh, you don't remember? I recovered your comatose body after Ratchet and Clank defeated you yet again. I managed to find a secluded place and dutifully patched you right up. However, you may recall, when you went back online you went a little, shall we say, haywire? May have left a screw or two loose on my part. My hands were tied and I was left with no choice but to contact the Institution so they could handle the situation. I do apologize for any inconvenience that may have caused. I only had good intentions, sir."_

" _Well, that seems logi-" Nefarious paused mid sentence, struck with realization. "You_ _ **dare**_ _try to manipulate me? After all_ _ **you've**_ _done?!"_

 _"I suppose it was naïve of me to hope that fall would have broken your delirium." Lawrence let out a sigh, "I suppose there's no point in trying then." He cleared his throat before insisting, "You can't have forgotten your attempt to kill me, sir, and your sanity has only continued to dwindle after all that had happened. I thought it was pertinent you be contained to prevent more trouble than you've already caused."_

" _I had good reason to kill you moron!_ _ **Argh!**_ _I've got to get free of this stupid thing." Still struggling, he tried to use his defenses to break free of the jacket keeping him detained. "That's odd, my powers aren't working!"_

" _They were shut down while you were out, sir. Though, knowing you, it probably wouldn't have done much harm to leave you with them. Perhaps your '_ _ **ingenuity**_ _' could be put to good use figuring out how to use them to get out of there."_

" _You idiot!" Nefarious kept trying to escape from it, but it was no use. His eyes started twitching as his anger turned more into misfortune._

" _Well sir, I should go now. I can't say here for long. Got a gig and all…"_

" _Wait, what?! You're just going to leave me here?!" He watched Lawrence as he turned and started to walk out of the room. "Lawrence get back here, now!"_

" _Happy recovery, sir." He then walked out, not looking back. Nefarious yelled his name a few more times before the door started to close._

" _Lawrence, come on Lawrence I was only kidding around with you." He gave out a small chuckle out of guilt. "Lawrence. Lawrence._ _ **Lawrence!"**_ _The door then locked as it shut._

 _Nefarious pushed his body over, falling on the side of his face. He started to laugh again like he did before, however it slowly turned into crying. He couldn't at all believe what was happening, thinking it was all a bad dream that he would soon wake up from. Though, that was nowhere near the case._

 _He looked up to the ceiling, full of anger…_

* * *

He returned to reality as those memories locked up inside fumed and his eyes twitched with every thought. He was defeated by his nemesis _twice,_ Lawrence betrayed him and he lost everything.

When he gets out of here, _if_ he ever got out of here, the first thing he was going to do was kill everyone who made his life a living nightmare.

Nefarious aimed his pupils from the ceiling down to his jacket giving one more struggle to get loose. Unsurprisingly, no luck. He sighed as he stared back up; lost in his thoughts. Not much else he could do anyways...

But a few moments later; he perked up. He cracked a sinister smile and tried to push himself to a spot on the wall where there was no padding and started to bang his head against it.

"Ow."

He shook it after so many times.

"Well, at least I'll gain from this after."

Nefarious continued to slam his head until he was able to get a few wires exposed, and started rubbing them against the padding creating friction. It didn't take long for a fire to start.

Putting the back of his straitjacket above the flame, it slowly burned the fabric making the stitches looser until they were easy enough to stretch.

"Yes, yes… _victory!_

He yelled out with his arms in the air finally having his freedom returned to him. But his celebration quickly ended as the sprinklers went off in the room, raining down on him with his eyes twitching as his mood quickly changing from over-enthusiasm into annoyance…

* * *

"Can't believe we got one of these 'mad' masterminds here," One of the doctors said to the other, playing a game of chess. "He's almost as bad as that one we had a few years back."

"Who, Ranvier?" The other said as he moved a piece on the board, "Oh yes, he was quite a handful. How did he manage to escape to begin with?"

"Wasn't there an explosion in his cell?"

"It came from the outside didn't it? Who would even risk breaking out such a nutter?"

"Well, at least he's no longer our-"

The sprinklers started pouring down all over the building as both looked to the ceiling. "What the-"

* * *

It still poured in his room, but that wasn't going to stop Nefarious in attempting to put his weapons back online.

"Okay let's see, how were they able to disable them in the first place…"

* * *

"Ah, so here is where the fire was started." The doctor spoke to the other as they stared at the screen finding the source of the fire. "Isn't that where that mad doctor is being held?"

"Yes, I believe so. Should I send someone down there?"

"Please do."

They called one of the robotic nurses over to Nefarious' room to check on him, mumbling to himself on the way there.

"They always make me check on the worst ones. Why do they make me check on the worst ones? Does the galaxy hate me or something?" Standing right next to the door to Nefarious' room he got the key out of his pocket and was about to put it into the lock. "Geez, I can't get a break, can-"

A big explosion pushed the nurse right out of the way, slamming him into a wall. His eyes wobbled around his sockets trying to regain his sight. "What the-" He then looked through the smoke, seeing a silhouette...

There was Nefarious walking tall, dark matter already coming out of his hands.

"Oh crap! Sound the alarm-" Nefarious threw an attack at the small robot, blowing him up in the progress. However, the alarms were already set off. The doctor snarled.

"Argh! I was hoping this was going to be a walk in the park…"

* * *

There were personnel deployed all over the building. Nefarious was trying to be as sneaky as the open routes would allow. However, as absent as it had been as of late; luck still wasn't on his side.

"Halt!"

A few of the staff members came across him, each with a taser in hand.

' _Great…'_

Blocking his way, there was no escape. He thought about using his lasers but he had to remind himself the last time he used force it caused him to be locked up here to begin with. He needed a plan and quick.

He looked around until he saw a young woman nurse passing by behind him unaware of her surroundings.

"Hm?"

Quickly reacting, he took the girl by the arm and head locked her with the same hand he grabbed her with, as his other hand blazed with dark matter.

"Any sudden movement or attack, and I'll splatter this Squishie's brains all over the wall!"

The girl started to panic as the mad doctor held her against her will and the personnel lowered their tasers in the fear of either hurting the young girl or invoking their inmate. The last thing they wanted was for something to happen to their employee. "Okay, there is no need for violence; we don't want to cause any trouble now, all right?"

"Try me. I won't hold back…" Nefarious scanned the room to think of a better way of getting out of his dilemma without causing any blood to be spilled. His eyes geared over to an aged circuit box. It had a few wires exposed as sparks flew out due to the water pouring over it. He sorted out the idea in his head but then returned to his distraction.

"Free my way, or I will _kill_ her!"

"Listen, we don't want to cause any more problems, now why don't you just put her down-"

Before they could finish their sentence, Nefarious fired his attack upon the circuit box as it went ablaze. A wall of fire formed around the employees struggling to put it out without electrocuting themselves.

Nefarious dropped the girl and as she fell to the floor he saluted her as a sign of thanks. "Thank you Squishie, I'll make sure you're the very last killed once I take control of the universe!" He turned around and started to fly down to the floors below as he walked to the exit humming a little tune. Before he left out the door, he slammed his hand on a button at the help desk, causing all the cells in the building to open with his insane friends to cause chaos.

He pushed the exit open still cheerfully humming. He then moved into a more serious tone, looking for a good ship to escape in. After finding the right one, he slammed his fist into one of the windows breaking the glass, slipping in as he tried to hack into the system to get it running. "Never thought I would drive for myself again."

As soon as it started up, he took off flying into space.

After taking off, he wondered where he could go. He was a wanted criminal after all. Not as though that hadn't been the case before, but he then he'd had an army and a good supporting team on his side. Now he was a solo act. Perhaps he could try to salvage whatever was left after the explosion of his space station, but it wasn't a risk worth taking.

He let his gaze drift back to space as he thought of his next course of action. He needed a plan to rise back to his former glory. He doubted brainwashing a bunch of squishies would work the third time around.

But first, he thought he would do some - _cleaning_ around the universe; the first stop being a few friends...

* * *

Back at the Apogee Space Station; Talwyn, Cronk and Clank were finishing up cleaning after the party they held. Talwyn, now wearing something more casual, put her broom down and wiped the sweat from her face. She leaned her arms on a table; deciding to take a break.

"Hey, Tal." Ratchet walked over before leaning next to her. In an upbeat tone he asked, "How's everything going?"

Talwyn looked over at her friend and smiled. "Oh, I'm fine. Figured I should help clean up. You enjoyed the party, right?"

"Of course I did. You really didn't need to go out of your way to plan this. It had to be a lot of work."

"It was, but it's not like I planned it all myself. Besides, Clank and I agreed you deserve to have some fun." She got back up and grabbed her broom. "Well, better get back to work."

"You need any help?" Ratchet replied. "I mean, I'll pitch in if you'd like but all the brooms are taken, and the last time I tried to clean my room with the Suck Cannon, well…"

"Nah, you're the birthday boy. Don't worry, we have everything taken care of."

"You sure?"

Talwyn chuckled from his insists. " _Well_ , since you're so willing," she shoved the broom into his chest. "You _could_ take over my work."

"Heh." He then gave a small laugh himself. "So much for me being the birthday boy and all." Ratchet got to cleaning while Talwyn walked away over to Cronk without taking her eyes off of the Lombax.

"You know, Ms. Apogee," Cronk spoke, stopping his work, "I can tell you've grown quite fond of him the last two years."

"We have been through a lot, Cronk. Couldn't you say the same for yourself?"

"Well, I remember when I was still a young bot, I met this fine nurse during the Great War. Oh, she was surely something. She was a bombshell, that's for sure."

"Ha!" Zephyr budded in to Cronk's conversation. "Too bad you got bombed with your parts all over the place; otherwise she would have gone out with ya!"

" _Seriously_ you two?" she sighed. "You know Ratchet and I are just friends. Just because we spent a lot of time together doesn't mean there has to be anything else going on between us."

"I suppose, Ms. Apogee. But you do tend to go out of your way for him. This party, for example."

"Because he's my friend Zephyr, and you've done the same for me over the years. I don't see how this is any different." She eyed both her caretakers before glancing over to Ratchet. "Besides, even if I did; that doesn't mean he feels the same."

"So you do have feelings for hi-"

Talwyn waved her hands in protest as she turned red. "No no, I'm saying _if_ I did, which I don't." She sighed and then turned the other way with her back to Zephyr.

"You never know, Ms. Apogee, until you try."

Talwyn started to become flustered. "Zephyr, please, can we drop this for now. I-" She took in a breath before regaining her composure. "Anyways, we should finish-"

"Ms. Apogee? I think you need to see this!" Cronk was already on the other side of the room listening to the recorded message that was sent to them an hour ago. "It's from Torren IV."

Talwyn walked over to him. "What is it, Cronk?"

Ratchet put down his broom and quickly followed after. Cronk played the message, showing a Vullard…

" _Outsiders, the Hollow is being attacked by an unknown faction of troops-"_

The message kept cutting in and out due to the chaos going on behind him, people were running and trying to get the fires hosed down.

" _We are not an aggressive race and we are in need of assistance! We don't know how long we can hold out for!"_

An explosion in the background caused the camera to shake from the impact causing the camera to cut out again.

" _Please, if there are any Outsiders out there who are willing to help, plea-"_

His words were followed by screams as someone grabbed him by the neck, taking his body off camera.

" _Pathetic creature!"_

The attacker's voice was heard, but not in view as light hit the walls from the Vullard being electrocuted off screen. He pushed the camera down breaking the lens as static followed. As the recording ended, Ratchet looked over at Clank and he did the same.

"That voice sounds familiar," Ratchet thought to himself out loud. Still, he had seen enough. He eyed back at Clank. "Gotta love Polaris. First thing we gotta do when we get here is deal with a whiney Cragmite trying to bring back his race from another dimension. Then we've gotta stop a maniacal doctor from ripping the universe apart on the slim chance he can change the past to his liking. And now this." He let out a sigh, "It's too much to ask for a break, isn't it pal?"

"Perhaps," Clank replied to his friend. "But I suppose it is our job."

"Well, we better get going." Ratchet and Clank started to run the other way as Talwyn and the others watched them…

* * *

They headed out to where Aphelion was parked and hopped into the cockpit. "Aphelion, do you still have the coordinates for Torren IV?"

"Affirmative. Is something the matter?"

Before Ratchet could answer he could hear Talwyn calmly calling his name. The Lombax peeked out the window before asking, "What's wrong, Tal?"

"Nothing, just thought you could use an extra hand." She approached Aphelion outside the hatch. "I know you could handle this on your own, but I'd like to tag along, if you don't mind."

"We got this Tal, don't sweat it," Ratchet reassured.

"I'm not worried; I know you guys can take care of yourselves. It's just-" she paused for a second, "you only got back here a few months ago. And now you're leaving again…"

"You missed us that much?"

Talwyn gave a small, sheepish nod. "Look, you can always say no if you don't want me to tag along."

"Sure, we can always use the extra help. It'll be a bit cramped to fit all three of us in Aphelion though."

"Don't worry. I can take my ship. I just need you to send me the coordinates."

"Already sent," Aphelion chirped. "They should arrive to your Nav-Unit shortly, Ms. Apogee.

"Thanks Aphelion." She gave Ratchet a quick nod before heading to her ship. "I'll see you there."

"Alright, we'll make radio contact once we reach the Vela Sector."

"Will do." Talwyn offered Ratchet a confident smile before making her way to her own ship.  
Ratchet turned his gaze to the horizon as he tightened his grip on the steering wheel. "C'mon Clank, I think it's time we finally cashed in on that invite."

Aphelion engaged her thrusts as they took off into space...

 **-End Chapter Two-**


	4. Chapter Three: Not As Planned

**-Chapter Three: Not As Planned-**

They arrived in the Vela Sector not to long ago. Flying to their destination; Clank attempted to contact the Hollow with no luck. He'd tried for the last past half hour.

Ratchet leaned over him. "Any luck, Clank?"

"No, not at all." Clank tried again, but no reply followed. "I am starting to worry Ratchet; they should have picked up by now."

"Yeah, I know." Ratchet took his eyes off Clank and looked back into space keeping his eyes wide open for any signs of danger. "But whatever is happening down there, it can't be good."

His mind started to wander again. It had been four months since he last was here.

Since he met General Azimuth...

Never did Ratchet think once of returning to Molonoth Fields, nor had he ever planned to. Perhaps the universe does have a cruel sense of humor after all...

Ratchet thought nothing more about his death, and just having it roll around in his mind didn't help matters.

"Azimuth is on your mind again, is he?"

The small voice frightened the lombax. "Huh?!" Getting his mind back together, he looked down to Clank. "Oh, well, no, not really." He knew trying to hide his emotions was a futile endeavour. Clank, one way or another would see right through him.

Ratchet sighed. "Um, yeah."

All Clank could do was frown.

A small beeping sound was heard and with a small press of a button or two, the ship's holoscreen turned on. It was Talwyn.

"Hey, you guys able to get any reply?"

"No luck, you Tal?"

"Still no answer, I'm starting to wonder what's happening down there."

"Well, we'll know soon enough, Aphelion?!"

"Yes, Ratchet?"

"Get a reading of the area to see if there's any abnormal activity..."

"Scanning now…"

* * *

On one of the moons in the sector, Nefarious was pondering to himself about his next move as he leaned his back to his ship. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of engines, however. He narrowed his eyes out into space of the disturbance.

In his peripheral, he spotted both Talwyn's ship and Aphelion. His calm state turned into anger. He made a fist.

"Ratchet," he said under his breath as he watched the ships flying to Torren IV. He quickly hopped back into the pilot seat and flew off, following them to the planet…

* * *

Aphelion landed her ship next to the entrance of The Hollow with Talwyn parking next to her. They both quickly got out and grabbed their gear.

"You guys ready?"

Both Talwyn and Clank nodded as the little robot jumped onto the Lombax's back

The door was already wide open with no one guarding it. Not a good sign.

They entered and once inside the first thing that caught their eyes was an unpleasant one...

The place was lifeless, quiet, and whoever was here left a gruesome mess behind. There were motionless bodies strewn all over the ground. Most if not all were still intact, coated in blood and strewn in puddles of it. Equipment was vandalized, if not on fire then burnt to ashes. And the machines that were still standing were riddled with bullet holes...

There was nothing but silence between them. It felt as though they stepped into a horror vid-film. Ratchet took a few steps, bewildered by what was around him.

"Wha-what happened here?"

Clank got off of Ratchet's back and walked up to one of the Vullard's corpses. He took his pulse to see if there was any sign of life. He shook his head and turned back over to the others. "Who do you think did this?"

"I don't know pal…"

Ratchet thought back to that recording they saw before coming here…

' _Pathetic creature!'_

That voice. It sounded like someone he had encountered when he had travelled the Breegus sector in search of Clank. No, it couldn't be? Why would he have interest in The Hollow?

"Ratchet?"

"Huh?" He looked over at Talwyn.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, I was just thinking, that's all." Ratchet looked around again in an unsure manner before turning back to his friends. "We should search the area, I'm sure there has to be at least one survivor."

" _Ratchet!"_

A screech came from behind him causing Ratchet's ears to twitch. Yet another voice he hadn't heard for a while.

He turned right around, shocked to see who it was…

"Nefarious?" Ratchet was stunned to see him still alive. "I thought you were dead?"

"And I almost was, no thanks to you!" He hovered over them high above the ground thanks to his jet boots as he glared Ratchet down; eyes twitching from the anger building up.

"I guess you were lucky." Ratchet scanned Nefarious' body, taking notice of the condition it was in. His wounds were the least of their worries though. What he was doing here in the first place, _now_ that's a different story.

"I can see you've been through some rough times. So where's Lawrence?" he said sarcastically. "Did he ditch you, or is he out doing your dirty work again?"

"That is none of your business! Besides, I don't even want to hear that name again. Not after what he, and _you_ , put me though."

"So, I'm guessing the former?"

Talwyn and Clank looked over at the mad doctor. "Dr. Nefarious? Why did you attack The Hollow? I am sure it is something to do with an evil plan of yours."

"Say what now?" Confused, he took a good look around before gearing his eyes back to Clank. "I didn't do this, I just got here!"

"Oh really?!" Ratchet snapped. "We know what you're capable of Nefarious, there's no reason to hide it!"

"I'm serious! I never even noticed this until your dimwitted friend said something!"

Ratchet growled at him. In spite of the scene seeming within the realm of Nefarious's capabilities, he seemed to be telling the truth It wasn't like him to act like nothing happened, or for him to cover up his evil deeds for that matter. He had way too much pride in his _work_ for him to be ashamed of it.

Besides, Nefarious's method of killing was _cleaner_ than outright beating his victim to a bloody pulp and leaving the resulting mess out in the open It at least would be left somewhat spotless.

However, that left another question. If Nefarious didn't do this, then what suspect was left?

"So maybe this isn't your handiwork. But who else could have done this?"

"Andyou think _I_ know?!" He could argue with him about it all day, but that would just be a distraction. Something Nefarious did not have time for right now. "I wish _I did_ kill you back at my station, but I'll make sure I do now." His eyes twitched and his voice became louder preparing to throw an attack. "For making my life a living-"

Before anything else could come out of Nefarious' mouth, everyone was thrown to the ground from the impact of an exposition that came to them off guard. It was a powerful one too. Its radius spanning so far it totaled the pre-existing damage to the area.

Ratchet slowly got up and he followed to help his friends immediately after..

Nefarious was still laying on the ground as he mumbled to himself, annoyed that he was interrupted from killing his arch-nemesis. He shifted his eyes the other way; seeing a shadow in the flames that the assault caused. He knew right away who it was just from looking at his silhouette, not at all pleased to see him again after working with him for so long...

"Ratchet…"

That deep voice made the lombax's ears jump as a shiver went down his spine. The accent sounded just like the one he heard on the holo-recording before they came here. He then turned around, eyes widened from the shock of seeing his old _friend_.

"…Once again you fall into my raid." Vorselon walked out of the flames with his armor unscratched, hands behind his back as he gave a small smile; greeting his enemy. "Been a long time, hasn't?"

"Vorselon," Ratchet gave him a fuming glare. "I knew that voice was familiar."

Clank turned a perplexed stare onto Vorselon before looking back at Ratchet. "Did he not challenge you after we left the Clock?"

"Yeah, but I wanted to catch up with Talwyn. Thinking twice about that decision now."

"What's the matter, young lombax? Aren't you _thrilled_ to see your old friend: Lord Vorselon?" He followed his sentence with a small laugh, grinning.

" _Argh_ , Vorselon!" Nefarious slowly got up, infuriated as he screamed at the Terraklon who had broken up his encounter. "Stay out of this! I was here first, so why don't you get lost so I can finish the-"

The mercenary charged his palm and released a ball of dark matter onto Nefarious, causing him to go flying into a wall. It didn't take too long to get up and crawl right out, as he rubbed his head while his right eye rolled around in its socket, dizzy.

"Ow."

The power from Vorselon's hand slowly died out as his teeth grinded with irritation.

" _Obnoxious_ piece of tin! I am no longer your under your employ, so I will not hesitate to _kill you if I must_!"

Now that _he_ wasout of the way Vorselon composed himself as he turned back over to Ratchet. He cleared his voice as he let the robot fall to the back of his mind. "Now, where was I? _Ah_ yes." An evil smirk graced the mercenary's face once again as he slithered around the Lombax. Both their eyes locked in angry sneers.

"I was patiently awaiting your arrival at my ship all those months ago. You couldn't imagine how disappointed I was that you declined my invitation. And without so much as _an_ RSVP to inform me you wouldn't come."

"I can hardly say that 'Father's Accountant' thing was very enticing. In hindsight maybe I should have wouldn't have happened otherwise."

"Maybe so lombax, but let's not get off track here. I-"

"Damn it, you moron!" Nefarious yelled once more as he stumbled to his feet, "Stop interfering! Hecaused more trouble for _me_ , so move your-"

" _Silence!"_ Vorselon shocked him with the electricity coming from his hand, knocking Nefarious back down. The robot did nothing but mumble in anger.

Clank stared up at Vorselon. "Lord Vorselon, why did you attack the Hollow? There is no reason for you to kill so many innocent Vullards! Unless someone has hired you...?"

"That isn't anything that concerns you, small one, because you will not live long enough to know such a thing! Once I am finished with you and all."

Ratchet just rolled his eyes as he growled, "We have no time for this, Vorselon!"

"Oh, is that so?" He aimed his eye over to Talwyn, then back to Ratchet. "We'll see about that." He _poofed_ away and teleported over to next thing she knew she was braced against the wall; trapped by an electric barrier that covered her from head to toe. It happened so fast she didn't even have time to fight back.

Vorselon started up a pulse from his hand as he held it in front of Talwyn's face.

"Maybe if I take this girl's head, you will reconsider?"

"Talwyn!" Ratchet shouted. He started to snarl as he gave Vorselon a fierce look. "Let. Her. Go! She didn't do anything to you!"

"Well maybe if you fight me, I'll reconsider it." His pulse grew stronger as he grabbed her chin with his other hand. "She does mean something to you, doesn't she? It would be a - _shame_ to end her life in such a way.." He laughed softly as he looked back at his furry friend.

Talwyn struggled to get loose with little luck. "Get your hands off of me cyclops or-!"

"Or what? I have no qualm with you, but continue to persist and I'll ensure you join your friend. Do you think it's really worth that fate?"

"Vorselon," Ratchet whispered his name, his hand tightening into a fist. "Fine, if it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get." He raised his wrench up in the air, preparing for battle.

The mercenary let go of Talwyn and let the power of his hand die out as he walked over to Ratchet. " _Now,_ that's more like it." With a snap of a finger, he released Talwyn and she fell to the ground before he returned his sight to his foe. "Allow me to inform you that my new suit is far more powerful than my last! It has been constructed with the most advanced technology and most resilient defense systems in existence! You should be honoured to be among the first to test it out, not to mention how glad I am to get to use a space rat like you as my guinea pig." Excitement caused his head to wriggle in its tank as dark matter powered up again in both of his hands. "Prepare for terror unlike any you have ever known!"

Ratchet and Clank stood side by side, both with raised eyebrows, as the enemy encroached. Clank looked especially confused as he asked, "Is he always this dramatic?"

"Yeah, it's kinda his schtick." His gaze left his friend's and was aimed back at Vorselon. "Ok Vorselon, lets finish this once and for-"

He threw a huge ball of matter at them before Ratchet could even finish, causing Clank and him to jump out of the way in opposite directions.. After the leap, they both looked at each other, and back at Vorselon.

"Well, that's, um, new…"

"I see you like it so far." As the hand powered back up, he threw another assault on his targets. Ratchet barely got back up before noticing the projectile coming at him.

"Uh-oh." Ratchet quickly rolled out of the way as he took out his Constructo Pistol, trying to aim it at his foe.

Vorselon used a holographic shield to block Ratchet's attack, as it deflected off of it. "Is that all you got?" He let out a laugh as the bullets started to fly back over to the lombax.

Ratchet once again hurdled out of the way from the unexpected attack dropping his gun in the progress.

"Crap."

He hid behind a wall and tried to plan a way to get back on the offensive but he couldn't find an opening.

"How did he get this upgrade?"

Vorselon slammed his hand onto the ground below him, causing a huge shockwave. A crack began to form and trailed to the lombax. Ratchet tried to hold his balance but the impact overpowered him.

"Ratchet, be careful!" Talwyn shouted. She looked over at Vorselon, as he let the power from his hands die down.

The merc took notice of his foe's legs stuck in the cracks, causing the lombax to struggle to get back up. ' _The perfect time to finish the job.'_

"You seem to be having a bit of trouble there, lombax." Vorselon slithered to his enemy as he grabbed him by the neck. "Here, let me help you!"

Ratchet tired to gasp for air from his enemy's clutch as he just watched Vorselon power up his hand again. His foe cracked an evil smirk. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this day!"

Nefarious was already back on foot, running as he formed a fist. "Oh no _you_ don't! I'm the one who's going to kill him!" Before he could swing at him, the Terraklon took notice, hearing his voice at the last second.

"What do you want no- oh cra-!"

The mad robot hit the light in the center of Vorselon's suit. The mercenary lost his grip on Ratchet and clawed frantically at the light. He stumbled backward, unbalancing Nefarious and causing the robot to fall flat on his face. He eyed his suit helplessly as sparks sprayed out from the damage. It didn't take long for everything to start going haywire. Vorselon struggled to retain control of his mechanical body as it spasmed violently out of his control.

"You piece of junk, look at what you've done!"

A spark then shot up into the air, causing a huge greenish wormhole to appear. Vorselon's eye widened. The wind tried to pull him in as he attempted to resist.

Ratchet, Clank and Talwyn looked up at the portal. "What is that thing?!" the lombax shouted, covering his face with his arm from the airstream.

Failing to hold back, Vorselon was pulled in. "This is far from over, lombax!"

The wormhole was tugging on the others, trying to pull them in to follow after the mercenary. Ratchet quickly grabbed Talwyn's hand and insisted, "Everyone hold hands! We don't want to be separated if we fall into that thing!" Talwyn followed Ratchet's instructions and reached out to grab Clank. The tiny robot clung to a pole to fight the wormhole's pull.

Nefarious had his arms and legs wrapped tightly against a pole as he glared nervously at the portal. The wind was no match for him!.. despite his legs' grip loosening. His arms followed suit but he dug his fingers into the post, anchoring him before he could be sucked away. Suddenly the force grew stronger and his hands were ripped away from the post as he was pulled towards the wormhole. He let out a high pitched shriek as he was helplessly pulled inside.

The others just watched Nefarious being pulled in as they tried hard enough to not suffer the same fate. But Clank's hand slipped and everyone yelled as they entered the vortex…

* * *

They all kept their grip on each other; trying not to let go.

"Hold on," Ratchet yelled, "We can't risk getting separated!"

Ratchet's hand was starting to slip from Talwyn's.

"Ratchet, I don't know how much longer I can hold on!"

The current was too strong, forcing Ratchet to let go; losing the team as he screamed out their names.

" _Ratchet!"_ Clank shouted after seeing his friend being blown off course. There was then a black hole at the end of the tunnel, going through…

* * *

As the channel ended, Ratchet fell out with a yelp landing on the ground below him...

"Oof."

He rubbed his head as he slowly got up before picking up his wrench. He found himself to be on a beach. The sand was a dark red but the ocean a light blue so clear that he could see tiny fish swim by.

"Where am I?"

He scratched his head in confusion, wondering what that _thing_ he'd just traveled through could have possibly been.

"Clank, Talwyn?!"

The Lombax yelled out their names hoping for a response. After a few moments he shouted out again. With no reply and a good look around, he knew they weren't anywhere nearby.

"Just great…"

Ratchet then heard some mumbling behind him.

"Augh, I got sand in my gears."

Ratchet turned around, raising an eyebrow.

There was Nefarious, banging his head as he tried to get rid of the sand that plagued him when he fell down himself. After getting most of it out though the crack in his canister, he turned his head, still annoyed, and there he saw the Lombax a few feet away from him. He gave him a long but odd stare, yet after a few blinks he finally figured out who it was...

" _You_ ," Nefarious swiftly got up and ran as he yelled pointing his finger at the direction of the Lombax. " _This_ is _your_ fault!"

Ratchet stared up at Nefarious, with one of his ears hanging down and the other raised up. "My fault? Hey, you're the one that caused Vorselon's suit to go haywire!"

"Well, _if you_ didn't come to the Hollow, none of this would have happened!"

"Hey, you're the one that followed us, so it's your fault!"

"No, it's yours!"

"No, it's yours!"

"No! You caused all of this!"

"No Nefarious, you-" After pausing, Ratchet shook his head noticing how childish this argument was as he palmed his face. "Why am I even arguing with you? Listen; there is no point in blaming each other right now. You see where we are, right?"

"We _don't_ even know where we are, you moron!" Nefarious tired to hold in his anger, which was not an easy task. Failing to control his emotions, he just lifted his arms into the air over Ratchet. "I can't believe this!" And popped right out was his right arm landing on the sand below him. One of Nefarious' opticals got smaller, while the other was bigger as he looked down.. Ratchet couldn't help but let out a small snicker.

"Stop laughing! This is _not_ funny!" Nefarious glared Ratchet down and then back to his arm. He mumbled to himself as he picked it back up, trying to get it back in his socket. It went back in, until it fell out again. He picked it up once more, but it kept falling out. His anger got the best of him as he started to force it in violently. "Get in, damn it!" After a good few tries, he finally got it in place. He moved his arm up and down to make sure everything was in order.

"That's better."

He rolled his eyes as he crossed his arms.

After he finished laughing, Ratchet looked back up to Nefarious as he sighed. "Well, as much as I hate to say it, we're going to need to help each other out."

"Come again?" Nefarious raised an eyebrow at his arch-nemesis. "You're kidding me, right?"

"Sadly, not. Wish I was. We've got to figure out where we are, and I have to find my friends. Trust me Nefarious; the last thing I want is to be stuck with you."

"I was hoping you were." Nefarious waved his hands with a small laugh. "There is no way, and I mean, _no way_ , I am going to work alongside _you_!" He started to walk in the opposite direction as Ratchet watched him leave...

"Where are you going?"

"Away from you, I don't want to be around a _Squishie_ like yourself." He continued to stride, not bothering to give the Lombax a look.

"You wouldn't last one day out here," Ratchet yelled mockingly across the beach. "You always had Lawrence around catering to you; How do you expect to have any luck surviving on your own!"

"Pff, I can take care of myself!"

"Right, we'll see about that."

Nefarious mumbled as he entered a jungle. Ratchet watched him leave before turning the other way.

"He'll be back …"

* * *

As the mad robot strolled through the tropical forest, he started to rant angrily to himself.

"I can't believe this. I'm stuck on a planet, not knowing where _I_ am and now I'm stranded here. This day can't get any wor-"

His arm popped out of place once again, earning itself a frustrated glare and a twitching left eye. He rolled his eyes in disgust.

"Just my luck."

Before he was able to pick it up, a small wolf-like creature got to it first holding it within his mouth as it wagged it's tail before turning back around.

" _Argh_ ," Nefarious marched up to the animal as he made a fist. "Give. That. Back!" He held his hand out, waving it as he asked. The dog shook its head as he continued to chew on his arm.

"Give me that, you stupid Squishie!" He took the hand of his arm, trying to pull it out of its month. After struggling for a while, he forced it out, causing him to be pushed to the soil. He got back up as the wolf glared at him.

"Brainless organic." He kicked it out of the way as it whimpered. It got back up and glared back to Nefarious, growling before running off.

" _That's_ right! Run away!" He followed up his yell with a laugh, putting his arm back in its socket. "One point for the robots, zero for the Squishies." Walking again, he cheerfully closed his eyes, humming, arms behind his back. However his jolly mood was interrupted after hearing a snarl.

"Huh?" He opened his eyes and saw that there was a bigger creature beside the little one. His pupils constricted. "Umm, didn't think it had a mother." He looked around frightened before looking back with a small nervous chuckle. "Is it too late to say I'm sorry?"

Saliva flew into the robot's face as it roared. Nefarious looked back with a twitch of fear coming from one of his eyes. It wasn't too long until he ran back to the beach screaming as the two wolves watched him...

* * *

Ratchet was still strolling down the beach when he heard a shriek behind him. He turned around with Nefarious colliding into him as he ran, causing them to both fall onto the sand. The lombax shook his head, and there was Nefarious who was now on top of him.

Ratchet, not amused, just rolled his eyes from the robot. "For some reason, I knew you would be running back."

Nefarious's eyes twitched, refusing to look at him. "Shut up." They both got up, with Nefarious pushing the sand off of him, as Ratchet did the same for himself.

"Well, I guess we should get going. C'mon rust bucket." He waved his hand, telling him to stay close as Nefarious followed crossing his arms and mumbling to himself...

* * *

Talwyn opened her eyes. Her sight was still dim but enough to see the world around her. The first things that caught her eye were the lush plants of the jungle; with the sun breaking through the leafs. She slowly got herself back on her feet and called out her friends' names.

She scanned the area, worried.

' _No response at all.'_

She then spotted Clank lying on the earth.

"Clank!" She ran up to him and gave him a light shake after noticing his optics closed, hoping he was still functional. "Clank, are you alright?!"

Clank opened his eyes after hearing his name before looking up to the young girl. "Yes, I am fine Talwyn." The small robot got up as he noticed his surroundings. "Where are we?"

"I don't know Clank. We'll figure that out later though. Did you see Ratchet?"

"No, I did not see him ever since we landed here; but I am sure Ratchet is fine even though I am just as worried." They both looked up to the sky, and saw the sun setting below them.

"Yeah but right now we should set up camp. It'll be dark soon.

"I agree." Clank thought about the other two who went through the portal. "We should also keep a lookout for Doctor Nefarious and Lord Vorselon. If they went through the wormhole as well, they could not be very far."

"Right." Talwyn took one last look around before turning back to her robot companion. "Anyways, I'll go get some thing in the morning though; we've gotta search for Ratchet. It'd probably be a good idea to try and figure out where we are too. I doubt he's that far..."

' _Just stay safe Ratchet…'_

* * *

It was already dusk, Ratchet still had no luck finding the others. It was hard to make out their settings as it was due to the darkness, but the path was bright enough for the time being. Nefarious kept on following until he heard a squish sound below him. He looked down, and saw his feet covered in mud.

" _Ew_ , ew, get it off!" Nefarious swiftly picked a leaf off its branch and tried to get the mud off with Ratchet doing nothing but rolling his eyes. "This is why I always hated biology." Mumbling, he turned back over to the lombax who was now laughing at his behavior. "Stop laughing!"

Ratchet shook his head. "This is why I said earlier you wouldn't last a day out here." He started to move again as he watched Nefarious getting the remains of the muck cleaned off. However, he lost his balance falling straight into the mud.

Ratchet cracked up again. He couldn't help but find amusement in Nefarious's antics. It was a rare sight to see the Doctor so vulnerable. For all his intelligence and talents; he was lost without Lawrence or anyone else who catered to his needs whether Nefarious saw that or not.

But for some odd reason, he felt a bit bad for the guy. Seeing him like this was kinda sad when he thought about it; ya know, being a feared supervillain. Though he didn't feel _that_ bad…

' _When am I going to get rid of this guy?'_

Nefarious was still trying to get the rest of the mud off until he spotted Ratchet moving away. "Hey, don't leave me here!"

"Well, you better hurry up then." Ratchet smiled with a small chuckle. Once the doctor fully got up, he slipped back into the sludge once again as he was raging deep inside himself...

* * *

A few hours later; the sun set for good and there was no longer a viable path. Nefarious sat down on a rock still covered in mud mumbling angrily to himself. Ratchet was trying to get a fire started and finally had success. He picked up a long stick beside him and put it over the flame, lighting the way. "There, that should do it."

"I hope we find your friends soon. That way, we can go our own ways again." Nefarious didn't even bother to look at him as he spoke.

"Heh, well can't say I disagree. I'd have ditched you earlier but you came running back like a coward before I got the chance."

The robot just eyed him weirdly. "I can take care of myself."

"Oh yeah," The lombax said bluntly. "That's why you came screaming out of the jungle after being chased by whatever animal you pissed off."

"He took my arm! What was I supposed to do?!"

"I think you could have lived without it."

Nefarious snarled at the comment, trying to hold in his irritation. "If it wasn't for my own survival, I would have torn those ears off that stupid head of yours."

"That sounds pretty dark, don't ya think?"

"Maybe it'll teach you some respect."

Ratchet got up and started moving. "If you plan on staying with me, you better get your servos running. I'm not waiting on you."

Nefarious followed. After a few steps, Ratchet heard a sound coming from the bushes. He shook his head not thinking much of it. He started to walk again, until he heard the same noise this time causing his ears to pop up.

"Nefarious, did you hear that?" He asked, not looking at him while he posed the question.

Nefarious just rolled his eyes as he gave him a cynical tone. "No, I _didn't_ hear anything."

"Well, ok then." Both of them started to walk, but paused again after hearing it again. "Are you sure you didn't hear that?"

"If it makes you feel better, I think I may have heard something."

"Well, what did it sound like?"

"Something coming from the bushes, is that what you heard?"

"Yeah, something along those lines," As Ratchet and Nefarious turned around to face one another, they heard it again but louder. Moving closer to each other, Ratchet took out his wrench, on the defense. Nefarious started to shiver a bit, hiding behind the lombax for protection.

Then it stopped. Ratchet let his guard down with Nefarious still hiding behind him. "Well, I guess it wasn't anything baaaAH-" A bunch of lion like creatures came jumping out, with both of them yelling when taken by surprise.

"Oh crap!" Ratchet quickly hit one with his wrench hoping it was enough for it to go away. One of them leaped on top of him, causing him to lose hold of the flame as it rolled over into a puddle of water; washing the fire out.

Nefarious kicked a few of them, hoping they would be scared as well. "Get away you dim-witted Squishies!" A bunch of them piled up on him as he tried to get them off, landing him on the soil.

Ratchet whacked a few more, but unexpectedly, one of them scratched his face, leaving a small cut on his left cheek. "Damn it!"

More of them started to gang up on them. Nervously, he turned over to the robot. "Um, how are you holding out?"

He screamed out to Ratchet while still fighting them off. "What does it look like, you twit?!" He hit another with his arm.

Butterflies started to build up in Ratchet's stomach as more arrived. As they were about to pounce...

 _Bang! Bang! Bang!_

The shots terrified them as they started to back off before finally running away. Both Ratchet and Nefarious looked over to where they heard the gunfire.

"Wow. That was lucky."

A flashlight was aimed in Ratchet's face as he covered his eyes from the bright glow. Walking out of the scrubs was a young girl with light tan fur and four darker tanned stripes on her face, two on each side. Her appearance gave off of an wolf and cat hybrid.

After pushing her brown hair out of the way, she put her firearm back in her pouch and then laid her now free hand on the side of her hip.

"Y'all know you shouldn't be out here in the middle of the night." She said in her slight southern sounding accent. "You're lucky I got here in time, otherwise you'd have been supper." She then glared at the lombax with her grayish blue eyes.

"You don't seem like you're from around here, am I right?"

Ratchet looked back at Nefarious still getting up before turning back at the girl. "We aren't. We don't even know where we are, we just… landed here."

"This has been one heck of a day." Nefarious was busy brushing the dirt off his body that he didn't even look over to the others as he spoke, "Didn't think I would have been saved by _two_ Squishies, neither."

" _Squishies?_ " She remarked at the funny sounding word before finally taking notice of Nefarious. Her eyes widen from the sight of him...

The doctor then looked over at her, puzzled at her expression. "What?"

The young girl started to walk in circles around him, which did nothing but make Nefarious more or less creeped out. So much it took good restraint to not attack her. "Um, Ratchet, can you tell your new friend to stop being creepy…"

She finished her scan and backed away a few steps. After a few blinks, she finally broke her silence...

"Oh. my. gosh," She yelled, full of glee. "This is so cool!"

After her response, both Nefarious and Ratchet looked at each other, perplexed by what was going on…

* * *

The young girl invited them back to her place for shelter, which Ratchet gladly accepted. Nefarious however...

" _Oh my gosh_ , oh my gosh!" The girl walked around the robot, grabbing his left hand. "I've never seen an android this advanced before! This AI, this kind of model, this is amazing!"

Nefarious's eye twitched from this girl's pestering and he turned over to Ratchet sitting on the couch, cracking up in amusement with the robot being examined.

"What's so funny, long ears?"

Ratchet then looked back over at Nefarious, still amused. "Oh, nothing Nefarious."

The robot looked back at the girl, still examining his body. He finally had enough…

Nefarious hands just fumed of dark matter, taking the girl by surprise as she took a huge leap back. "That's it, I'm done playing the passive role here! Touch me again and I-!"

The lombax then got serious as he jumped off the couch. "Tone it down Nefarious!"

"Tone _it_ down?! _This_ Squishie has been examining me like a lab rat for the last past hour and you're telling _me_ to tone it down?!"

"Yeah, and you made your point; but if you lay a single hand on her Nefarious; you'll have more than her to worry about, trust me!"

Nefarious's eye twitched, but he complied and let the power from his hands die out. "Fine, but I have very little patience, just so the both of you know." Nefarious stomped across the room.

The girl still hadn't gotten over the fact that this weird robot almost killed her but she tried her best to get back to her senses. "I-I'm sorry. I got a little carried away there I guess. I've just never seen anything like you before."

Nefarious didn't bother to reply other than waving the comment off not thinking anything of it.

The girl finally got herself together before looking over to Ratchet, seeing the slash on his face. "Oh, let me get you patch for that," She walked over to a drawer and took out a small first aid kit and started digging for what she was looking for.. " _So_ , I never got your name?"

"I'm Ratchet, and that cheap machine over there is Nefarious." Nefarious briefly glared at him from that remark but then went back to mumbling.

She let out a small laugh. "Ah. Well, my name is Jens." She finally found the size band-aid needed and closed the box. "Nice to meet you." Jens walked back over to the lombax, handing him the patch. "I hope that helps."

"Yeah, it'll do fine." Ratchet took the patch, looking back at Jens while putting it on. "Also thanks for the rescue. we needed the help."

Jens put on a small smile, "My pleasure." She then looked back over to Nefarious, tapping his feet while not looking at the others. "So, he yours?"

"You can say that."

"And Is he always like this?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

"Heh." She walked up to him, tapping him with her elbow, well aware she was playing with fire. "C'mon Nef, cheer up. Why do you always hate all the time? Put that frown upside down!"

Nefarious' eyes once again twitched as he got up, snarling.

"Look here you Squishie little brat, I'm having a bad day as it is!" Jens smile turned into a frown as he yelled.

"I'm stuck here with my arch-nemesis who knows where, which we may not get home at this rate, _and_ I would have annihilated him by now if it wasn't for my own survival! And now, I have to deal with the likes of a 'little miss robot molester' here who _should_ be lucky _I_ haven't killed her by now if it wasn't for him over there," He tilted his head pointing to Ratchet, "So pray you stay on my good side since the last thing you want is to become a Squishie carcass..."

"Trust me pal, no one wants to hang out with you neither," Ratchet added.

Jens pouted while looking over to Ratchet. "Well, someone has a gear up his-"

"GAH, you annoying unplea-" And a _zap_ later...

 _"Next up is Orion Gasto coming to bat. He takes the swing. Strike one!"_

Jens stared at Nefarious as she watched his gears moving stationary in one place. "Heh, I missed this game…"

Ratchet eyed him. "That's… weird. That's not what usually comes out of him in this state."

" _Strike two! The pitcher throws the ball and-HOLY COW LOOK AT THAT BALL GO!"_

Ratchet shook his head as he walked up to the robot, palm in face and full of disbelief. "I can't believe I'm going to be stuck with this guy," He whispered to himself before raising his hand above him…

 _"And it's going, going and GONE! IT'S A HOME RUN!-"_

A hard whack later, Nefarious went back to functioning correctly…

"-sant child!" Even with no lungs, he was breathing heavy and his hands made a gripping motion in the thought of strangling her. "You sure I'm not allowed to kill her?!"

"I'm sure Nefarious."

" _ARG!_ " He stomped off again in frustration.

Jens forced herself to smile. "Don't be so angry all the time Nef, it's bad for your health." Jens leaned over to Ratchet. "Didn't tell me he doubled as a radio."

Nefarious glanced at her weirdly, not knowing what she was talking about. "What do you mean?"

"...wait, so you have no clue that…?"

"No clue about what?!"

Ratchet sighed before giving Nefarious a small pat on the back. "A glitch you had since-whenever you had it. You freeze up all the time and play radio singles." The lombax walked over to the couch, jumping back on it. "Your butler often had to smack you in the head to get you working again."

Nefarious remained still for a second or two.

" _I had_ a glitch all this _time_?!" He put his hands on his head. "Why _does_ no one tell me these things?!"

"Probably because Lawrence got amusement out of it."

"We don't speak about him, _you_ got that?!" As his eyes shuddered a bit, his arm fell out again, and he glared down at it. He rolled his eyes and picked it up, trying to get it back into his socket.

Jens saw he was struggling and ran up to him. "I'll fix that!" Taking out a roll of duct tape from her pocket, she wrapped it around his arm attempting to connect it to his body not taking into account the fact that the roll was still dangling down…

"There ya go." She gave him a cheesy smile.

Nefarious glared at his "repaired" arm, and then back at her.

"I just only met you, and I'm already starting to _hate_ you."

"You mean you didn't already?." After her blunt remark, looked over at the clock and stretched out her arms with a yawn. "Well guys, I'm going to hit the hay. You could crash here for the night if you want, not that you have anywhere to go at the moment."

Ratchet gave a nod, "Thanks Jens."

Jens pointed to a small room. "You guys can both use that little bedroom. Used to be my father's." She shrugged. "I don't have any other room to keep you guys from each other but I guess one of you could sleep on the couch." Her finger pointed to Nefarious, "Unless he doesn't sleep?"

"Most likely won't with both of you here. For all I know I'll wake up with missing parts."

Jens let out a light chuckle as she walked over to her room. "Just do me one favor, try not to kill each other. I gather you two don't have the best relationship."

"Aren't worried that he'll get you killed or something?" Ratchet asked with a finger jabbed in Nefarious's direction.

"He seems to know the ground rules. Anyways, g'night.."

And she left, leaving the two alone in the seating area. "Dibs on the bed by the way…"

* * *

Vorselon opened his eye half way slowly, lying on the sand near the ocean. He tried getting up, but his tentacles weren't working properly, likely due to the damage caused to it back at the Hollow. They still functioned enough to get his other half off the soil at least.

He touched the top of his tank and looked up, seeing a crack coming from the top reaching down to eye level. The ectowater inside keeping him alive had a murky green tone as well and he was unaware of the source. The rest of his mechanical body still had sparks spraying out and whatever damage that he remembered gaining. He growled in anger. "Worthless piece of scrap metal…" He remembered Nefarious damaging his suit and ruining his mission, as well as his chances of killing that ' _wretched space rat_ ' he hated so much.

Catching his eyeball was green blood drooling from the side of his mouth, causing his eye to widen from it. "Damn it…"

He crawled away from the water onto the dry sand, dialing a few buttons on the back on his left hand. Putting his palm face up, a hologram of a woman popped up.

"Empress Lania."

She looked over at Vorselon, not amused. "What is it now, Flint?" Lania rolled her eyes before taking notice of the shape of his body. "And what happened to you?"

He kneeled down respectfully, discarding her question about the damage. "My lady, I'm sorry to inform you, but the mission didn't, well, go as planned."

Just staring into her eyes, he could see the rage build up. "What do _you_ mean it didn't go as planned?"

He looked back at her nervously, not wanting to tell her the bad news. "Let's just say there was some…well, _interference_."

"What do you _mean_ by interference?!" She yelled at him at top of her lungs. "What did you screw up this time, Flint?!"

"W-well," Vorselon shivered in fear, knowing how she was when in this state. "Th-there were some old friends of mine that came to The Hollow. I did- didn't expect them there, and they caused my suit to go haywire, a-and-"

"I'm guessing by old friends, you're referring some people that caused you problems in the past."

"Well, yes." He played with his fingers while speaking to her with a small smile, feeling worried what she was going to say next. "And, well, I'm now stuck in another dimension, and-"

"What do _you_ mean by that?!" She screamed even louder than before. "Augh, can you do anything right?!" She started to relax, taking deep breaths. "Well, are they stuck in this dimension you are now trapped in?"

"I would assume so."

"Then kill them."

Vorselon started to look around; knowing he most likely won't have the capability for the task. "B-but my lady, my suit is badly damaged. I don't think I will be able to-"

"Don't give me that Flint! You put yourself in this mess; you will have to fix your mess!" She composed herself again, now giving him an intimate tone. "Besides sweetie, you don't want me to leave you all alone on that beach, now do you?"

Vorselon shook his head, giving a puppy-dog eye pout as he whimpered "No…"

"Good. Then do what I say, and don't call back until you do so! Lania out!"

As the hologram shut down, Vorselon sat in silence. "Yes, my lady." He snarled with the anger that filled him, slamming his fists down on the soil.

"When I find them, I will make sure I kill that wretched space rat, _and_ that filthy robot, nice, slowly and _painfully._ " Flint then laughed, lightly grinning, finding himself delight in the idea of doing so…

 **-End Chapter Three-**


	5. Chapter Four: Bros Before Foes

**-Chapter Four: Bros Before Foes-**

 _Tick, tock, tick, tock…_

Every second the sound of the clock would go off as the Lombax and the mad robot stared eachother down from across the room. Ratchet was sitting on the couch while Nefarious sat on the floor and neither of them spoke a word, or made a sound for that matter. Neither of them enjoyed the fact they were stuck together for however long it would be. And by this rate, it was going to be a while…

… _Tick, Tock, tick, tock…_

Ratchet remained calm. Not an easy task with your arch-nemesis glaring into your eyes.

Nefarious, however, didn't take it as started to twitch from the silence of the room. Just looking at the rat he loathed so much caused thoughts of stepping on the Squishies head or ripping his tail off to roll around in his mind. Every second, those ideas made him lose more and more of his sanity (whatever he had left anyways).

… _Tick, tock, tick, tock…_

Both looked around the room, trying to resist eye contact, however nothing seemed to distract them in the space they shared.

With another stare, Nefarious finally snapped. "I _can't_ take this anymore!" he yelled as he ran over to Ratchet.

"Can't say I like this either," Ratchet kept his composure despite a tinge of frustration in his tone. "But if you haven't hit Vorselon's suit the way you did, we wouldn't be stuck here in the first place."

" _Oh,_ don't blame this on me, fuzzball! This is partially your fault too!"

"How so? I wasn't the one that threw a hissy fit!"

"Shut up! This is your fault and you know it! Not to mention you would have been fried Lombax if I hadn't done so!"

"And this is coming from someone who can't even defend himself out in the wild…"

As they argued with each other Jens stumbled into the room, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Their bellowing had brought her into the room to try and resolve the argument. Or at least bring it down to a less audible level.

"I'm fully capable of taking care of myself, long ears!" Nefarious's eye twitched as his hand balled into a fist. He was struggling to hold back his anger.

"Oh, sure you are. When _I'm_ there to save your butt!"

" _Gah!"_ Dark matter raged out from his hand and he launched it directly at the vase across the room, shattering it. It didn't take long for them to both take notice.

"Nice going…"

Before the robot could build up more, Jens quickly ran over, pushing both of them away. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, I understand you guys hate each other for whatever reason it may be, but please," She sighed. "Don't blow up my house, thank you very much."

Ratchet and Nefarious exchanged evil glares. Ratchet's gaze softened as he shifted it over to Jens. "Sorry if we're being a chore," Ratchet apologized.

"I personally wouldn' say chore, but if the bill fits." She walked over to the small kitchen and plucked a fruit from the bowl. "Here, catch!" She threw the produce at Ratchet and he deftly caught it. She took another fruit for herself and bit into it. "So, you guys are lookin' for your friends, right?" she said through a mouthful of food.

" _His_ friends, not mine!" Nefarious walked over to the couch and sat down, tapping his foot, arms crossed.

"Why so moody this mornin'?" Jens inquired, shoving her face into Nefarious's. "Woke up on the wrong side of the bed?"

The doctor let out growl as he turned away from Jens and her obnoxious chewing. He couldn't stand the fact these squishies were not only invading his space with their presence but insisted on insulting him while they did it.

"How did this happen? How did I, Dr. Nefarious, the greatest criminal mastermind in the _entire_ universe, hit rock bottom? I was the one who struck fear to those in the Solana _and_ Polaris galaxies! The one who was on the brink of controlling _time_ _itself_! And now-" his arm fell off, as he face palmed with the opposite hand. "…I can't even keep my arm in place…"

Jens finished her breakfast as the robot spoke and weaved around him, reasserting her presence in his face. "Sounds like it sucks to be you."

Nefarious eyed her, annoyed. "You're not making me want to kill you any less."

She picked up his arm and handed it over.

"You need a _hand,_ Nef?"

"Ha ha, _very_ cute," He forcefully pulled it out of her paws and popped it back in as quickly as he grabbed it. "Also, stop calling me _that!_ "

"Callin' you what?"

"Your little nickname, _you_ idiot!"

"What should I call you then? Irate Robot? Broken Junkpile?"

He twitched his eyes as he turned to the lombax. "Does she have an off switch on her?"

She back handed his comment as she looked over to the lombax. "Well I can see why you always have your hands full."

Ratchet sat on the couch in a state of thought. He sighed, as Jens wondered what bothered him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, just hoping Clank and Talwyn are alright."

"I'm sure they're fine. If you want, I'll even help. A local could speed things along."

Ratchet cracked a small smile. "Thanks, I could use it."

"My pleasure. That, and no offence, I'd like to keep my house from burning to the ground." She followed her words with a small nervous chuckle.

"Can't blame you there."

Jens popped down on the sofa next to Ratchet, leaning back comfortably. Nefarious shot up and fled to the other side of the room like he was being chased. The three sat in silence, causing Ratchet to think back to the previous night's conversation.

"Jens, what did you mean last night when you said you'd never seen anything as advanced as Nefarious? Or a robot in general, for that matter."

"Huh?" She was puzzled by the question. "What are you talkin' about? I don't know where you're from originally but I doubt anyone has seen anything quite like him before. Most robots can't even walk up stairs, let alone have deluxe glowing lights on their limbs."

Nefarious raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"

"All the robots I've seen do daily home and work needs. Some people even battle them against each other."

"You use _us_ as slaves?!" Nefarious realized as he stood up, quaking with fury. "What kind of sick planet is this?!"

"I don't think our roombas realize that they're doing our work. How different is it from making a microwave to heat up your bratwurst for thirty-two seconds?" She shook her head. "I don't know if Ratchet or who else created you, but whoever it was left a screw loose or somethin'. Ya know, anger issues and all…"

"First off, no one created me! And second, what do youmean by _anger issues_?! I'm fine!"

"Do I have to mention the glitch thing again?"

" _Never_ talk about that! It's humiliating."

"Hey, not my problem you never kept up with your maintenance."

Ratchet remained quiet as he tried to process the things Jens told him.

"So let me get this straight, you've never seen anything this advanced before? Seems kinda odd. Everywhere in the universe is advance."

Jens just sat there baffled. "Universe? Shouldn't you start with 'galaxy' first?" She snorted. "Okay, so maybe our robots aren't so advance but maybe there are other differences between here and where you're from?"

"Like what?" Ratchet asked.

"Well, tell me somethin' that's also advanced where you come from. That is, compared to here."

"Hmm, let's see…" Ratchet stared at the ceiling in thought. "Well, there's space travel."

"Space travel?" Jens said with heightened curiosity.

"Yeah. You can very easily get a spaceship where we come from. In fact getting your first spaceship happens before planning your first vacation, or in my case, before you save the universe. You can take off into space, fly about, explore moons… in fact; a while ago Hyperspace Wormhole travel was invented so that we didn't have to spend three weeks in our ships to get from planet to planet."

"Wo-ow, really?" Jens was in awe. "I've never heard of such a thing, that's amazin'! But, that would mean other parts of the galaxy are more advance than us then. Or…?" She looked at to the floor and sighed. "…I knew you guys weren't from around here."

Ratchet's ears then perked up. "Wait a minute," He quickly turned his head over to Nefarious. "Nefarious, you remember that wormhole back at Molonoth?"

"Yes, that's why we're stuck here right?"

Ratchet got off the couch and walked up to him as he spoke. "Well, think about it. The wormhole, the lack of the usual technology, heck, even the radio signal you used to catch wasn't the same!"

"I told you to never speak about that _again_!"

"Well, I was only making a point. But what I'm saying is, as crazy as it sounds; I think we may be in another dimension…"

" _Excuse_ me?"

Laughter erupted from behind them and they turned to see Jens had rolled onto her back and had a hand pressed to her stomach. "Oh, _that's_ funny! I knew _he_ had a screw loose," she jabbed a finger in Nefarious's direction before redirecting it to Ratchet and continuing, "but you? Man!" she interrupted herself with another round of laughter. Ratchet and Nefarious shared a perturbed glance before staring back at her.

"I'm going to have to agree with her over there, and that's likely the only thing I will…" Nefarious took a few steps back away from Ratchet.

"I know it sounds far-fetched, but it would only make sense."

" _How_ does that make sense to you again?" Nefarious turned his head over to Ratchet with his back still facing him, arms crossed.

"That's what I said!"

The two didn't even bother to pay Jens any attention. "Well, before you took Clank, I had Tachyon wanting to kill me and find some Lombax device called the Dimensionator. It may seem odd to you, but I've been through this before."

"Still think you're crazy…"

"Ok, ok, let me get a run down here," Jens spoke, not even hiding her amusement. " _Apparently_ , you guys crossed this weird wormhole...thing, and the next thing you know is that you're here on little ol' Rado Island?!" She gave a small chuckle before finishing her words. " _Riiight_ …"

" _She_ even thinks you're insane, now _that_ is offensive." Nefarious sighed. Even though it was still hard to grasp Ratchet's logic, thinking about it did make it sound more plausible. "Ok, so _suppose_ we are in another 'dimension,' what would that have to do with Vorselon?"

"I have no idea. But, well, he's a mercenary, right? So I'm sure it has something to do with a new client."

"Whatever." Nefarious rolled his eyes gearing them over to Jens. "Will you stop laughing?! It isn't eventhat funny!"

Her laughter started to die down. "Sorry, it's not often I have a guest over who came straight out of the loony bin."

"…I find that insulting…"

Ratchet shook his head. "Jens, I know it sounds crazy, but it would somewhat explain the tech you haven't seen before, right?"

"I suppose," she hopped off the couch, "But you sure you aren't from some far end of the 'universe' that I don't know about?"

"Great, now I'm going to be stuck with you longer than I hoped for." The mad robot sat back on the sofa as he tapped his foot. His arm popped out again and he didn't bother giving it his attention growing so use to it by now.

The Lombax sighed as he walked over and picked up Nefarious' arm. "Look, as much as you hate me and I hate you Nefarious, we're still going to need to help each other out. And besides finding my friends, we need to find Vorselon as well. He knows something we don't."

Nefarious pulled his arm out of Ratchet's hands. "Do you realize trying to converse with that nitwit Vorselon is like trying to say hello to a hungry Snagglebeast? He'll kill us before we can get the smallest bit of information. Or won't shut up about it. Either way it's a death sentence."

"Yeah, I know, but it's not like we can do much else at the moment, unless you want to spend some more quality time with Jens. Already see you two are getting along."

Nefarious turned his head to glare at her before looking back over to Ratchet as he popped his arm back into place. "No…"

"Then it's settled." Ratchet picked up his wrench and looked over to Jens. "I know you said you're willing help, but I think it's best you sit this one out in case we bump into him, just for your safety."

" _Pff_ , and _miss_ all the fun?" Jens chuckled. "Hey, trust me, whoever this _Vorselon_ guy is; I'm sure I could take him on with you two."

"Jens, you don't know Vorselon like we do. He's very dangerous; I think it's better that you stay at home."

"Hey, I said I would help you find your friends right? I'm goin' to keep that promise." She walked over to the table where her gun pouch laid and put it around her waist.

Ratchet sighed. "Well, just be careful. He seems to always find a way to come back and annoy the heck out of someone."

"I'll take your word." Jens aimed her eyes at Ratchet's wrench, shaking her head as she let out a snort. "You don't plan on fighting him with _that_ thing, do you?" She headed over to a box on the other side of the room. "This Vorselon does sound like a toughie; I think we may need some…" She opened it with her foot, which revealed an arsenal of weapons inside. "Better artillery…"

"Whoa!" Ratchet walked over to the box, looking at the arms like a child in a candy store, "Where did you get all of these?!"

"They were my dad's. He was in the army for a good few years before bein' honorably discharged." She dug in the container, as she took out some basic weapons. "It hasn't been the same without him here though, I'll say that."

"Where is he now?"

Jens gazed over at Ratchet, not really wanting to answer it. "He died a few years back. We had an outbreak here and it took the lives of many. We both had it but I got better. He wasn't so lucky." She closed the box and then got up. "I've been livin' by myself ever since. I miss him, but I'm survivin'."

"Well, at least you knew your father…" His smile turned into a frown as Ratchet stared below him. Jens would be a fool not to notice.

"Hey, I didn't say anything to upset you, right?"

"Huh?" Ratchet's ears popped up when he heard the sound of her voice "Oh, no, not at all," he scratched behind his head. "Um, sorry to hear about your father…"

"Are you sure? You seem like somethin' is bothering you?"

"Yeah I'm sure…"

"Well, ok." Jens remained silent. Ratchet was hiding something, but she knew not to push the issue on a personal affair. She looked around for Nefarious, shouting across the room. "Hey rust bucket, get over here!"

Nefarious stomped over to them, in an irate mood as always. "You realise the more you call me names, the less patience I'm gonna have."

She handed him a weapon. "Here's a gun for you."

" _Pff_ ," He threw the firearm aside after he caught it, and fired up dark matter from his hands. "I don't need any weapons."

"If your confidence says so…"

Ratchet picked up the weapon that the robot threw away, claiming it for his own. "Well, we better get going then."

The robot watched the two walk through the door; letting out a sigh as he followed. "This is going to be a _fun_ few days…"

* * *

Marching through the tropical forest, Clank and Talwyn kept a lookout for Ratchet in the hope they bumped into him sooner or later.

"Ratchet," Talwyn used her radio to try to contact him with no luck. "Ratchet, are you there?" Still no reply. She stared down over to the small robot. "This is going to take a while, isn't it?"

"I am sure we will find him soon, Talwyn; do not lose hope just yet."

"I know, but still." She sighed. "Want to take a short break?"

Clank nodded and spotted a log not far from them. He jumped up and sat down with Talwyn right next to him. "I still do not know what that wormhole was."

"You aren't alone on that. We'll figure that out later though."

Talwyn tried her best to keep optimistic through all of this but couldn't stop worrying about Ratchet. Where could he have gone? Did he land here with them? Was he safe?

And the thought of being alone again...

* * *

 _"Aaaaargh! LAWREEEENCE!" screamed Nefarious. Talwyn looked at the image in the dome of the Obsidian Eye as it faded away._

 _*Signal lost. Co-ordinates acquired for Breegus Nebula*_

" _Nefarious!" Ratchet said as he started to walk out. "Hold on Clank, I'm coming…"_

" _Nefarious," Talwyn chirped, following him out, baffled. "Who's he?"_

" _An old enemy. Had to deal with his plans to turn all of Solana into robots. I thought he died with the Biobliterator." Ratchet pressed a button on his belt, informing Aphelion to pick him up._

" _You're going to the Breegus system then?"_

" _Of course."_

" _But that part of Polaris is full of mercenaries, let alone crime; it's a big risk going over there."_

" _If this is my only chance to find Clank, I've got to take it…"_

 _"Lombax delivery service!" Aphelion said as she flew in gracefully. "Oh! What's happening over there?"_

 _Ratchet and Talwyn turned around, seeing the Hoolefoids heading into the Obsidian Eye Chamber with tools. "What's going on?" Ratchet asked._

 _"We're gonna dismantle the Obsidian Eye! It's brought us too much trouble!"_

 _"...with a sledgehammer?"_

" _Anything works!"_

" _Well, I guess it would…"_

 _Talwyn then turned to Ratchet. "So…you're going then?"_

" _Yeah, I am."_

" _Then I'm coming along. Hell if you're going alone."_

 _"I think it'll be easier to manage by myself."_

" _Ratchet?"_

" _You even said that the Breegus Nebula is dangerous, Tal. Don't worry I'll be fine._

 _She wasn't going to argue with him. He was right though; this was his only shot of finding Clank. She wanted to come with him but she wasn't going to push him into it. That's not saying her stubbornness didn't take a toll on her mood._

 _Ratchet looked over at Talwyn taking notice of her face. "Something the matter?"_

" _No, it's just..." She stared at the ground for a second before looking back up._

" _I know you want to come Tal, but I think it'll be best you stay home. Now that things are calmed down, it should be safer for you to search for your father."_

 _The mention of her father almost made her choke._

" _C'mon, you ready to leave?"_

 _Talwyn fell incredibly silent. "…yeah."_

 _Ratchet climbed into Aphelion as Talwyn followed, and they departed Merdegraw._

 _The entire journey, Talwyn felt a heavy sadness over her, and old memories haunted her thoughts. She already felt she lost her father, and now, she believed she was going to lose her lombax friend, someone that made her feel secure in this time of need. She feared if he too vanished…_

* * *

"…Talwyn?"

"Hmm?" Talwyn was brought back to the present after hearing Clank's voice.

"Are you alright?" Clank looked at her, concerned.

"Oh, I'm fine. I was just thinking that's all." She took a breather or two before getting back on her feet. "We should get a move on.."

Clank followed after her through the jungle. There was a clearing where the light shined through the trees. They found themselves somewhat stepping onto civilization as they gazed over a house in the middle of the harsh world around them. One of the locals was sitting on a chair with his newspaper covering his face. He snored loud enough that they were able to hear him before they even stepped foot on to his property.

Talwyn and Clank exchanged a glance before looking over at the sleeping man. Neither wanted to bother him but after a look around failed to yield answers they both deemed it necessary. Clank stepped forward and cleared his throat before speaking in a firm, yet friendly tone.

"Excuse me, sir?"

"Huh, who, what?!" The man swiftly woke up right after hearing the little robot below him as his paper left his face and landed on his lap. "Huh?" He looked down. "Oh, a visitor," He scratched the back of his head replying with his deep voice, "Don't often expect anyone around here…"

"We are sorry if we are a nuisance to you, sir," Clank replied as Talwyn followed behind. "But we seem to be lost and are trying to find our friend."

"Friend? What did he or she look like?" He got up from his chair as he stretched his arms out. "Doubt I've seen him or her, but shoot anyways…"

"Well," Talwyn started to talk about Ratchet's appearance. "He's a little below my height, yellow-orange fur with brown stripes, really long ears."

"Hmm. Nope, haven' seen him or anyone like that, I'm afraid." He then looked down at Clank, raising his eyebrow. "Guessin' you aren't from around here?"

"No, we are not." Clank looked back at Talwyn, and then at the local. "But, where are we?"

"You? Oh, you're on Rado Island. Guessin' you didn't come here to see the sights?

Talwyn nodded, "Pretty much. We just landed here…"

"Ah, I see." He picked up the paper that fell on the floor when he got up. "But no, I haven' seen anyone around here as you described. However, I could call the village. I'm sure they may have seen him."

"There's a village not far? I mean, that would be great if you can but we can walk over their ourselves as well if you give us directions."

"I suppose, but from the look of things; you two look quite exhausted. I'd think it wouldn' hurt to offer a bit of Rado's hospitality. I even have the crock pot cookin' some lunch. Ol' family recipe."

Talwyn crossed her arms. "You're quiet quick to offer random strangers into your home just for lunch."

"Am I? You can deny my offer if you wish."

She then looked down to Clank. "What do you think?"

"He seems quite friendly, and we can use all the help we could get."

She sighed. "Well, we could use the break. And whatever you have in that crock pot does sound good. I haven't eaten since yesterday."

"Of course. Still wouldn't hurt to head over there tomorrow regardless. But don't you worry miss, I'll help you find your friends however I can." He followed with a wink of an eye.

"Thank you for your assistance, sir."

"You may call me Marc, and I'm glad to help." He pointed to the house behind him. "Now, why don't you two go inside and chill for a bit, I'll go contact the village via satellite. Lunch should be ready soon."

As both walked inside, Marc eyed them, giving a glare behind their backs. Out of earshot, he took out his radio, trying to get in contact with someone.

"This is Marc Ramrock, anyone on this line?"

"Yes, we can hear you loud and clear."

"Remember how Empress Lania wanted us to contact her in case we bump into some... _unusual_ guests in this area? Well, I think I may have found some…"

* * *

"Ok, so can you two describe your friends again for me?" Jens asked as they strolled down the path to the village, "so I can get a better understanding when we talk to the townsfolk."

"For the _last_ time," Nefarious yelled, not liking how she kept referring to Ratchet's problems as his, "they are _his_ friends, not mine!"

"Well, geez, _sorry_! No need to get all worked up about it." She continued to walk, facing Ratchet as she turned around striding backwards. "Then perhaps I should rephrase myself. Ratchet, can _you_ describe your friends again for me?"

"Yeah sure," Ratchet started to describe in detail, "Clank is below my height. Has big green eyes, little red light on top. And Talwyn is taller than me, kinda has an elf like appearance."

"Ah. _Soo_ , this Talwyn your girlfriend, right?"

"Whoa!" Ratchet waved his hands around, "Where you get that idea? Talwyn and I are only, and _only_ friends."

"I don't think it's embarrassin' you know."

"I'm being honest!"

"All right then." Jens started walking ahead of the two as she entered the town, humming a tune. "Still don't need to be ashamed of it or anythin'."

Ratchet's ears lowered as he put his palm to his face. "Why does everyone think I have something going on with Tal?"

"You do mention her a lot." Nefarious replied bluntly.

"Don't tell me _you_ do too?!"

"I really don't care, honestly…"

"Hey, you guys comin' or not?!" Jens yelled over to the lombax and robot as she strolled into the village.

"Yeah, we're coming," Ratchet ran to catch up to her.

Nefarious just rolled his eyes, mumbling while he traveled with them. "Hopefully, none of these _squishies_ are as bad as you are…"

"What's that supposed to mean, Nef?"

"First off," He put his finger in her face. "I thought we agreed you would not call me _that_! Second, you know well what I'm talking about!"

"We agreed on somethin'?"

"Argh!"

"Careful Jens," Ratchet replied with a sarcastic tone, "you don't want him to freeze up again…" He followed it up with a small laugh, with Nefarious giving him nothing but a death glare in response. The robot looked around; noticing people staring at him. He put his face into his hands.

"I'm going to need therapy after this…"

"Look on the bright side; you needed therapy long before this..." Ratchet gave him a pat on the back.

"I wasn't talking to you, long ears!"

"Oh," Jens spoke. "When we are talkin' to the locals, don't mention the whole 'dimension' thing. Not the best way to give off a first impression."

"I get what you're getting at Jens, but," Ratchet pointed over to Nefarious. "Do you not think people are going to find this odd?"

"Good point. Hm." She pondered, and then looked up at both of them. "I'll think of somethin'."

Nefarious just eyed her oddly. "…I don't like the sound of that."

"Oh, and act like a normal robot would."

"…Normal? I am normal!"

"Not for this planet you're not!"

"Ok, ok, then how would a _normal_ robot act then?"

"I don't know? Talkin' in the third person and having a monotone voice. That's what I've gathered from science fiction anyways…"

Nefarious just stopped moving. "…excuse me? There's no way I'm doing that…"

"Hey, just roll with it and we'll all get along fine!" Jens sighed. "C'mon, we'll talk to Cal first. Need to pick up somethin' from him anyways…"

As they walked through the town, Jens stopped at a small shop door telling both of them to wait outside.

"Cal," she shouted as she walked inside. "Cal, are you here?!" Hearing a thump from outside, she quickly ran out.

Ratchet and Nefarious both glanced eerily at the slim man on the ground. Jens saw him on the soil. "Cal!" Running up to him, she held a hand out and helped him up. "Cal, you all right?"

"That be you Ms. Kallo?" He slowly gained his balance as he stared at the direction where he heard her voice. "Sorry abou' that, was doin' some work up there…"

"Alone?"

"Eyup! Didin' have much helpin' today sadly."

"You should have called me in! A man of your age shouldn't stress himself out."

Cal looked around. "Now where are those darn glasses of mine…"

Cal was the same species as Jens, only he was taller and much older, with shades of gray fur.

Ratchet saw his glasses on the ground and picked them up. "Here, I believe you dropped these." He handed them over.

The older Levisian looked over to the Lombax as he grabbed them. "Ah. Thank yer fella." He then put them back on and gave a few blinks as he gained sight again. He looked over to the Lombax, and then back at Jens. "He be a friend of yers?"

"Yup, they're mine." She let go of Cal after realizing he was able to stand back up on his own feet. "This is Ratchet; he crashed landed here and is lookin' for his friends. I agreed to help him…"

"Friends, huh?" Cal adjusted his glasses, just now taking sight of Nefarious and took his arm as he examined.

' _Not this again…'_ Nefarious just rolled his eyes, not giving the pleasure of a stare.

"Well, I'll be." Cal moved around him amazed. "I neva' saw anythin' like this before. What kinda model this be?"

"Oh, this bucket of bolts?" Ratchet improvised in a cheerful tone as he pointed over to Nefarious. "Erm, this is my Luggageton 30000!"

" _What?!"_ Nefarious shouted in protest at Ratchet's lie.

"Just play along …" Ratchet whispered as he put some of his artillery into the robot's arms. "He's good for traveling and what not."

"Watch it you insolent squish-I mean," Nefarious changed his tone of voice. "Me Luggageton, please leave your equipment here…" He wanted to yell as his eye twitched in annoyance.

"Golly! First time me seein' anythin' like it!" Cal stepped away from _Luggageton_ and over to a box. "I'll need to get me one of those these days. Back startin' to go…"

Ratchet put his arms behind his back as he gave Nefarious a cheeky grin. "Well they do come in handy…"

Jens let out a small snicker before Cal handed her a box. "I believe this be what ya wanted, right Ms Kallo? Wasn' easy to find."

She took a peek inside the box. "Eyup, that's what I ordered." Jens walked up to Nefarious, putting the package within his arms as well. "Hold that buddy, would you." She gave a big, cheesy smile as she gave him a wink.

Nefarious just glared down at her, keeping hold of everything Ratchet and she gave him, trying not to erupt with anger. "Urge to initiate total annihilation, rising…"

Ratchet then saw some odd figures walking past them in black and red cloaks. He couldn't see who they were due to their faces being covered by shadows from their hoods.

"I see yer eye caught one of these weird folks." Cal's remark made Ratchet turn around, as he perked up after hearing his voice.

"Who are they?" Ratchet replied.

"Those folks? Beats me." He continued. "We've been gettin' some really odd natives around these parts the last few weeks."

"Last few weeks?"

"Eyup, bizarre fellas' too, they came askin' me about some device I've neva' heard of…"

"First time I've noticed them, but I'm sure it's nothin'." Jens scratched her head, trying to think what she was going to ask. "Oh yeah, Ratchet, wasn't there somethin' you wanted to-"

She swiftly turned her head around from the sound of what was in her box being dropped on the floor and noticed that they were gone. "Ratchet?" She started looking around for her Lombax friend, and saw both of them running in the direction that the cloak wearing people did.

"Argh, Cal, you mind watching my things, please, thanks?" She quickly ran for her friends. "Ratchet, wait up!"

Cal rubbed the back of his head as he watched Jens leave. "Surely not very polite that fella'…"

He returned to his work until he heard some cranking sounds coming from behind him. He turned around and saw another mechanoid slithering through the town. It had a dome at the top containing a small green head, and the mechanical parts were badly damaged. Its tentacle legs weren't all together with a few dragging on the ground, with his movement being pushed forward by force. He mumbled to himself as he passed by Cal's shop, the Levisian just watching him oddly until he finally broke his silence.

"What seems to be the problem fella'?"

The Terraklon just glared Cal down livid, not very pleased with the pickle he was in. But despite the mood; he thought he would take the chance to ask someone if they spotted his target.

"I'm looking for a few… _friends_ of mine," He said in a civil, yet still in the menacing tone he always held. "Have you seen them by any chance?"

Cal fixed his glasses once more to get a better glance at him, and replied. "Odd you say such a thing. I had some long ear fella' lookin' for his friends as well, you may just be in luc-"

"Where is he?! Tell me!" Vorselon raised his voice at Cal as he picked him up by the collar of his shirt, demanding he tell where they were.

"Oh, he left a few seconds ago, don't know where to thou-"

"Insolent creature," He didn't let the Levisian finish, "this is no time to test my wrath! _Now_ where is he?!"

"Hey there fella'," Cal said nervously, "I don't want any trouble right now, all right? I really don't know where they went…"

His patience wore thin. Vorselon started to boost up energy from his free hand until he heard a beeping sound. He growled, and then dropped Cal on the ground. "You shall live, for now…" The mercenary walked away from him, finding a place where he could pick up his call in private. Cal just watched him leave as he got up.

"Geez, we've sure been gettin' some _interestin'_ folks around here…"

* * *

Vorselon hid behind a few trees outside the town, pressing the buttons on the back of his hand before Lania's hologram popped up.

"Flint, how's the progress finding those friends of yours?"

He swallowed in fear as he was about to reply. "No-not so good, my lady…"

Lania just rolled her eyes but then cleared her voice. "I just came to inform you that one of my agents may have spotted some of them, he called me and I'm sending my troops over there to pick them up…"

"The Lombax!" Vorselon cried, thinking that he already failed.

"Lombax? No, it wasn't one of those furry rats. It was some elf chick and her toaster; don't know the full details though."

Vorselon sighed in relief. "My lady, if you by chance hear anything about a Lombax, please, let me take care of this one."

"Guessing this is someone that really screwed you over big time, am I right?"

"Yes my lady, and I would like the pleasure to kill him myself."

"Do you really think this is the time for you to have a personal vendetta? Perhaps that's why your judgment is so clouded at the moment." She sighed crossing her arms. "Fine, if you must do so, just, don't screw it up…"

"I shall not my lady."

"Very well, Lania out…"

Jens sprinted over to Ratchet and Nefarious as fast as she could as she tried to gain back her breath. "Ratchet, Nef, What the _hell?_! You can't just-"

"Shhh," Ratchet put his finger over his mouth to signal to her to remain quiet, as he turned around, watching the cloak wearing inhabitants walk into a cave. Ratchet looked over at Nefarious as he spoke. "We've got to follow them…"

"Why, where are you two goin'?" She kept her voice low as she followed both of them, wondering what they were both up to. "You can't just go spyin' on people like that…"

"Well, guess what we're doing," Nefarious said as he hid behind a rock with Ratchet, waiting for an opportunity to enter unnoticed.

"You two just can't-" She grabbed Nefarious' arm to stop them from going in, causing it to pop out. "AH!"

"Hush you squishie little brat!" The robot looked down at his arm. "Give me _that!_ " He quickly grabbed it out of her hands as he yelled at her, putting it back in his socket. "Do you not see we're trying to get answers here?!"

"Both of you shut up!" Ratchet stressed before looking back to the cave. "Cal said that these people, as well as a few other things around here, have been getting pretty strange. We're going to see what this is about…"

"By spyin' on people?!"

"If it's the only choice we've got…" All three of them started to pace in. "I'm guessing you're coming then, right?"

She sighed. "I suppose. Someone has to watch you two anyways, in case you do somethin' stupid. Besides, it'll be like an adventure, right?"

"All right then," Ratchet started to enter the cave, "Just keep quiet, ok."

As they kept entering deeper, it started to get darker to the point that it was hard to see. "Ok, does anyone have a flashlight?" Ratchet raised the question, hoping for a positive answer.

"I may," Jens dug into her pouch, optimistic that she had one. "Ah, here we go." She took it out, turning it on to light the way. All of them looked through the cavern, checking to see if anything came up. Everything was sheer quietness, to the point you could hear a pin drop.

"Wait, what's this?" Ratchet asked, stopping.

"What's what?" Jens replied

They stopped at a door placed right into the cave wall. Ratchet tried opening it. "Argh, it's locked. I need a better tool to get in."

"Stand aside Lombax," Nefarious pushed Ratchet aside, "I got this!" He then raged his lasers onto the door. As the dust cleared, there wasn't the slightest dent to it. "Huh?" He attempted the same thing again with no success. "What?!" The robot chucked several of his shockwave bombs at the door but yet again the entrance emerged victorious.

 _"NGAAAAAAAAH!"_ Nefarious wailed. "Why won't you just die?!"

"Hey genius, try blowing up the rock wall this time." Ratchet suggested.

" _Oh_ , surely that will work." Nefarious shot one of his simple finger lasers at the rock next to the door as he rolled his eyes, and the rock crumbled away almost immediately. "…Now why didn't I think of that before?"

As Ratchet and Nefarious walked through the hole and past the door, Ratchet picked up one of the rocks and waggled it in Nefarious' face.

"Hey look, an asteroid!"

"Gah!" Nefarious said, and promptly blasted it. "Don't _do_ that!"

Jens shook her head as she followed them out. "Children, both of you." She then heard sounds in the background, squinting her eyes to see further. "Odd, never saw a tower like that around here before."

"Huh?" Ratchet turned around, seeing what Jens saw. He looked back at the other two. "Well, let's check it out…"

All three pursued the direction of the tower, hoping to find the answers they were looking for. They peeked through the greenery, spying over the factory they found.

"Hey Jens, are there normally factories like that in this universe?"

"We have factories, but not on this island that I know of."

Running over to get a closer look, they hid behind a few trees, watching a few robots carrying supplies into the building. "I hate my job…" One of them said as he talked to another.

"Just feel lucky you are not getting your head blown off. Think of it this way, at least we get paid well."

Ratchet just raised an eyebrow. _'I thought Jens said robots weren't advanced?'_

"Oh my gosh! This is-" Before she was able to get another word out, Nefarious grabbed hold of her and slapped a hand over her mouth to silence her, muffling the end of her exclamation.

"Will you shut up?!" Nefarious hissed sharply, his voice just quiet enough to not be overheard. "Are you trying to get us killed?!"

One of the robots perked up when hearing the girl's voice. "Hey, 3X2P, did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" The other one looked at him, dazed.

"A voice, I thought I heard one from the bushes."

"I am sure it was just the wind; this place is secret."

As Jens got loose, she furiously shouted at Nefarious. "What the hell was that abou-" And he covered her mouth again.

"Good save Nefarious." Ratchet replied.

"She really shouldn't have come along…"

The worker android once again turned around, swearing he heard someone. He saw movement coming from the bushes, having a feeling that someone was there.

Nefarious let go of the girls mouth again as she just eyed him in annoyance.

"You have to be more careful," Ratchet said as the robot walked off, "they could have spotted us." He started to walk out from the undergrowth. "We should find a way inside."

Jens jumped. " _What_?! We're already trespassin' as it is, now you want to-?!"

"Well, what-" Ratchet spotted one of the workers walking over, with gun handy. "Quick, we got to hide." The trio jumped and hid behind the nearest object.

The robot walked over and looked through the shrubs, but no one was there. He shook his head with a small laugh. "Yeah, I guess it was just the wind…" As he turned the other way, their heads to follow from where they hid behind a tree.

"Well good going Squishie," Nefarious looked down to the girl, speaking with a critical tone; "you almost got _us_ killed."

Ratchet looked around, checking if the coast was clear. "We should go; we'll come back here tomorrow."

" _Whoa_ , are you seriously plannin' on this?" Jens turned her eyes back over to the factory before returning them to Ratchet.

"Jens? Doesn't this place seem out of place to you?"

"Yeah."

"Well, if this is where all the weird things are happening; then we have to. We may get some answers."

The Levisian just sighed. She knew she wouldn't be able to talk Ratchet out of it otherwise. "This is a bad idea..."

"You don't need to come you know?"

"Hey, you want to risk gettin' put in the slammer, that's your choice."

All three of them started to pace away from the factory. As they did so, the worker caught them leaving out of the corner of his eye. Giving an evil eye, he took his gun out and followed them…

* * *

"Ok, with the dimension nonsense and now this," Jens spoke to Ratchet as they got outside the cave, with Nefarious just remaining quiet the whole time. "I'm startin' to not think of you two as crazy. But I still feel its wrong just spying and trespassin' on people."

"Well, as I said," The Lombax replied, "it's the only way we can get answers. And it's not like you need to get involved."

"True, but I don't trust you two on your own…"

"We'll be fine. I've done these things before, so I'm use to it."

"If you say so…"

"Will you stop putting me into this?" Nefarious just glared down to Ratchet, in his normal mood. "I don't want anything to do with you; I just want to get home."

Ratchet sighed. "Look, I know I already addressed this, but I want to get home too, even if it means work with a rusty machine like you."

"You're an idiot if you seriously think I'm willing to even lend a hand to you to begin-"

"Halt!" All three of them turned around after hearing the shout and saw the worker aiming his gun at them. Jens just snarled at the robot, then back at her friends.

"Eyup, we're goin' to jail..."

"You are under arrest for trespassing on Neoprine Empire property!" The robot moved a bit closer to them, as he charged up his gun. "Come quietly, or else I will have to use force!"

"Neoprine Emprie?" Ratchet questioned, looking puzzled.

"Look what you've done now, you moron," Nefarious kicked Jens in the butt annoyed; "we got spotted!"

The girl just growled back. "I told both of you that we shouldn't go spyin'!"

"If you didn't come along," Nefarious argued, "no one would have known we were there in the first place!"

Watching both the doctor and the girl argue back and forth, the worker-bot just eyed them both, getting off track of what he was doing. He then shook his head, returning to the job at hand.

"Silence!" He shouted. Both Nefarious and Jens went silent as both looked at each other, then back at the robot aiming his gun at them. "Geez, you guys are annoying, but it seem like we have to do it the hard way. Prepare to -" Before he could fire his weapon, he took a good look around, noticing Ratchet was nowhere in sight…

"Hey? Where did the other one -" and a nice, chunky wrench hit him in the back of the head, causing him to fall down. Ratchet started to run away from the enemy, Nefarious and Jens following. As the worker robot got up, he sprinted quickly after, firing his weapon at them.

Both continued to try to lose him, however as luck had a cruel sense of humor, they caught themselves at a dead end. "Crap." Ratchet turned around, seeing the annoyed worker-bot, booting up his firearm once more.

"You guys sure are fast, but even then, you can't outwit me."

Nefarious leaned over to the lombax. "So, any heroic plan to get us out of this mess?"

"Besides waiting for our deaths, nope, not really…"

"Well that's promising."

Ratchet glared above the foe, seeing a chunk of rock below it. He aimed his eyes over to Nefarious, softly whispering. "Nefarious, aim your lasers at that cliff over there when the time is right."

"Huh?"

"Just do it!"

"Ok, ok …"

"Say bye bye." And before the enemy could fire his weapon, Nefarious fired his lasers at the rock, causing them to tumble down. The small robot looked up. "Oh sh-"

The earth crushed its body with his head still sticking out. "ow…"

The three stared it down before anyone said anything again.

" _So_ , time to head back to my place?"

"Couldn't agree more…"

* * *

 _It was peaceful, cool day in Meridian City; Ratchet was waiting on Qwark to arrive before flying off to the Breegus system. Cronk, Zephyr and Talwyn were there to see him take off. She looked over at the Lombax, impatiently stomping his foot as he waited for his friend to come. He bought himself some new armor for the occasion._

 _She turned her head over to her caretakers, who were arguing as always about trivial matters, then back over to Ratchet, seeing his frown._

" _Are you sure you want to go through with this?" Talwyn asked with her voice holding an uneasy tone._

 _Ratchet turned over to her. "If there's any chance I'll find Clank, I've got to take it."_

" _I know." Talwyn sighed._

 _Both of them perked up after hearing sounds of engines; they looked up and saw a small ship land. As the door opened, out came Captain Qwark. "Anybody call for a ridiculously attractive savior?"_

 _The Lombax just rolled his eyes._

" _Heheh, I just can't get over that line! Just finished filming my new Holo-Film, My Blaster Runs Hot! It's so awesome the director said they didn't even have to get me a stunt double!"_

 _Ratchet looked over at Talwyn. "Well, I guess I'm off then…"_

" _Yeah…"_

" _I'll be back, I promise."_

 _Before Ratchet walked over to Aphelion, Talwyn hugged him. "Come back safe, all right? And soon."_

 _Ratchet put his arms around her as well. "I will."_

" _Hello, Captain Qwark to sidekick?!" Qwark shouted as he stood next to Ratchet's ship. "Are you ready to hit the cosmos?!"_

 _Both Talwyn and Ratchet let go, looking at each other one more time before the Lombax walked the other way. "Take care of yourself while I'm gone." He then hopped into Aphelion with Qwark following right after. "I hope you don't plan on calling me your sidekick the whole journey, right?"_

 _Watching the ship fly off, Cronk put his hand on her shoulder as she turned around. "Don't worry Ms. Apogee, he'll be all right."_

" _I really hope so Cronk, I really hope so…"_

* * *

"Talwyn?" Clank said her name while she was still day dreaming, but was brought back to reality quickly as she looked at the little robot. "Are you alright?"

"Just got a lot on my mind Clank. I'm fine though."

While the two were talking, Marc strolled back inside as the both quickly caught notice.

"So," she asked, "Any luck?"

"Sorry miss," Marc's voice sounded a tinge displeased but he tried his best to keep his cheerful tone, "No one saw your friend, my apologies."

When hearing the answer given, she once again started to get frustrated. _'Where are you, Ratchet?'_

"Don't worry though," Marc spoke again, "I'm sure he'll pop up soon, You can ask the villagers all about him to-" He heard a knock at the door. "Hold on a second there Miss." He ran over to the entrance, opening it.

"Hey, you two," Marc shouted across the room, "I believe someone is here for you!"

"Ratchet?!" Both Talwyn and Clank quickly darted outside the door, hoping it was their friend, though that wasn't the case…

"You are under arrest by the order of Empress Lania," Said one of the guards, as he held out his laser sword at them. "You will be left unharmed if you come quietly!"

"You must be mistaken," Clank peeped, "we did not cause any crime to-"

"Your crime is clear! Now come quietly! This is your final warning!"

Marc walked up to Talwyn. "Sorry about that Miss, but I'm just doin' my job."

She snarled. "You lying-!"

"Trust me when it's better you follow their orders. These guys aren't known for bein' merciful…"

Both glared at him as they were being taken away. The local gave them a grin and tip of his hat as he watched them off…

* * *

"Argh! Where is it?!" Nefarious was looking all over the place for his fallen arm, not having the best of luck. Ratchet sat on the couch while trying to tune out the robot's yelling.

He thought about the things they learned today. Everything seemed out of place. Jens saw this, and she was likely the best source to ask. Also, the Neoprine Empire, what was that?

While the Lombax was thinking, the mad robot was still occupied with looking for his missing limb. "Blasted thing!" He then heard a clink sound from behind him, and there was Jens, holding his arm in her lap as she hummed a song. Nefarious just sighed as he looked at her. "You mind giving that back now?"

"Why should I?"

"Because…"

"Because what?"

"Because it's _my_ arm!"

"Oh yeah," She said waving it around. "Well, that's not a valid reason."

Nefarious took a good few steps near her, "Hand _over_ my arm, you _Squishie_ little brat!"

"No! Not until you say you're sorry!"

He eyed her with confusion yet still irritated. "For what?!"

She pushed over the box that Cal gave her with her foot over to him, showing all the things she ordered were damage. "For breakin' my package, gear head!"

"You're the one who gave it to me!"

"So therefore it's your fault, rust bucket!"

"Gah! Give it back!" Nefarious started chasing her around the room as Ratchet was still thinking to himself. The yelling ended up being unbearable for his ears and he turned around back to Nefarious and Jens, who were tugging at the limb as the argued.

"Jens, just give him back his arm…"

Both looked at the Lombax. "Pff, fine." Jens let go of his limb, as Nefarious fell to the ground from the momentum. Getting back up, he put his arm in his socket, giving her a glare. She then stuck out her tongue in his direction.

"Very mature…"

Ratchet put his palm on his face with a small chuckle. "And you say we're like children?"

"Ok, so I'm no better." Jens walked up to the couch and sat next to Ratchet. "So, are you really goin' back over there tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I plan to…"

"And you have a plan I reckon?"

"Nope."

"Sounds promising."

"Don't worry, breaking into high security installations is kinda my thing."

"Well, don't count on me going, Lombax!" Nefarious crossed his arms with his back still facing the others. "I'm not playing backpack…"

"Trust me, I don't think I want you as one, but," He quickly got up and walked over to his nemesis, "I may need your help now. More than ever."

" _Pff_ , what's in it for me?"

"Well, you want to get home, right?"

"Yes."

Ratchet sighed. "Mind you, I don't like the idea much more than you do."

"Then take _her_!" He pointed his finger at the girl.

"I think I'll pass."

"So I should risk someone with no fighting experience and burdened with our problems to a possible death? Yeah Nefarious, smart idea." Ratchet just shook his head before turning back over to the robot. "Look, we both hate each other, right? Now that that's out of the way, as much as I hate to say it, just this one time we got to put our differences aside and get through this. After I find my friends and get home, we each go our own way again, deal?"

Nefarious rolled his eyes, and then sighed. "Fine, but only this once, after that, we're back to being arch-nemeses."

"Not planning on making friends here, so works for me.."

Jens yawned as she looked over at the clock. "Well, I'm pooped. Gonna head to bed."

"Good, I'm getting away from you two," the robot stomped to the bedroom.

"What, not gonna say g'night?" Jens called, as Nefarious just eyed her.

She shook her head and looked down over at Ratchet. "I can see why you hate each other, he's always so grumpy." Jens looked over at Ratchet, and saw his concerned face. "Still worried about your friends, huh?"

"Yeah," Ratchet sighed. "I just hope Clank and Tal are alright."

"You'll find them soon, I'm sure of it…"

"I just hope."

Jens herself got a bit worried as well. She didn't want to see her new friend sad, nor lose hope. Thinking for a second, before when she mentioned her father, she saw him become sad as well. It bothered her. She sat on the couch next to him. "I'm sorry if I'm bein' a bit of a nuisance bringing this up again, but why were you so down when I mentioned my father? I mean, if you mind talkin' about it?"

He turned to her. No, he didn't want to answer the question. However, he saw her face full of grief, thinking as if she had done something bad. He at least thought it was best to assure her she did nothing wrong.. "Well, it's kinda a long story, but…" He sighed as he tried to get his words out, "but I never got to know my father because he died when I was an infant, nor the rest of my family."

"What happened?"

"Tachyon. He attacked the Lombaxes after stealing their technology. And, well, it caused them to go to another dimension as a last resort." He eyed the soil below, still speaking, "My father stayed behind, along with me. I'm not sure if he was the one but I think he sent me to Solana, hoping that I would be safe. Tachyon did end up finding me years later but we stopped him from taking over the rest of universe."

"Seems like quite the story."

"Yeah, and when Clank was kidnapped by Nefarious soon after, I met another Lombax on my search named Alister Azimuth. He was the first Lombax I had ever met, and the closest thing I ever had to a father. But, he died while fixing a mistake he'd made." He felt Azimuth's watch in his pocket reminding himself of the elder. "I still have Clank though. I guess you can say he's like a brother to me…"

Jens felt a bit of his pain as she listened to his story. She didn't know what else to say to him, but she thought she would try her best to cheer him up.

"You know, when my father passed away, I didn't know what to do. I was full of grief myself when he died. I was alone to defend for myself and had no other family to go to. I thought I'd never get over his passing...

"But, while it took me some time, I knew he would have wanted the best for me and not to mourn over him." She stood up and put her hand on Ratchet's shoulder as she comforted him. "And I'm sure your father, as well as Alister, would want the same for you…"

Ratchet looked up at her, giving her a small smile.

Jens stretched her arms up in the air as she yawned. "Well, I'm going to hit the hay. You should too, bein' you plan on going back over there tomorrow."

She started to walk to her room, turning her head around facing him. "Just try to not get yourself killed. I want to see you be able to return home with your friends."

"I think we'll be fine."

She smiled, and then went inside her room. As she left, Ratchet looked up to the ceiling, thinking to himself, about Clank and Talwyn.

' _I just hope you're ok, pal…'_

 **-End Chapter Four-**


	6. Chapter Five: Storming the Factory

**-Chapter Five: Storming the Factory-**

Both Clank and Talwyn were kept inside a small, bland looking room which only contained a metal table and stiff chairs which they were forced to sit on. Talwyn was stripped of her blaster, so they couldn't pose any threat.

"Well, at least we aren't in the heat…" She sighed as she looked down at the little robot. It wasn't too long until the stillness of the room was interrupted by a creak of the door. Marc walked in as quickly as he slammed it shut and made his way over to the small table the two were sitting at.

"Well, with General Thanatos bein' busy at the moment, Empress Lania asked me to do the questionin'." Marc sat down on the chair across from them, putting his legs on the table. "Integration weren't somethin' I'd put on my resume, but suppose it's a nice change of pace. You should be lucky that Thanatos isn't the one who's interviewing you; he's far from bein' easy goin'. Besides," He took out a pack of cigarettes before continuing, giving a smile. "It'll give us some more time to bond; aye miss?"

Talwyn gave him nothing more than a glare. Clank spoke up, keeping his tone calm, though there was tinge of anger in his voice.

"May I ask why we are being held here, sir?"

The thin, yet well built Levisian pulled a smoke out of the set with his teeth before taking a lighter out of his pants pocket. "Empress Lania was informed about some odd guests bein' in the area," He lit his cigarette as he spoke, "and bein' you two seemed to fit that description, I put two and two together."

"Wait, who is Lania?" Talwyn questioned.

Marc quickly got up from his chair and slammed his hand on the table. "The last time I checked, I was the one askin' the questions here. Unless I was misinformed." Unintentionally the smoke from his cigarette few into Talwyn's face, causing her to gag as it polluted the air around her. He started walking away slowly from the table.

After he composed himself, he turned back around to the prisoners. "Now, perhaps you can give me the real reason why you're here."

Talwyn and Clank looked at each other. "We gave you a reason yesterday."

"And you think that's enough for me to believe you? I ain't stupid miss, I know there's more you're not be tellin' me."

Talwyn leaned over to Clank. "Do you think we should tell him?"

"I do not see why not."

Talwyn cleared her throat. "We were sucked into a wormhole made by a mercenary called Lord Vorselon, and-"

"Vorselon?! You mean that idiot Lania just hired?!" Marc started to rant. "She said she found him floatin' in a tank on some marsh planet after his body was stolen! Sounds like a total fool, I mean how can you lose your own robotic body?!"

Talwyn just listened as she whispered to her robot companion. "…I don't think it was a good idea to tell him."

"And why the hell she wou-" He stopped as he shifted his eyes back to the hostages finally realising he lost track of what he was ordered to do.

"Pardon me miss, I seem t'have gotten a bit off topic there for a sec. Regardless, Wha-"

"Mr. Ramrock!" The door unlocked as a heavy bound man came running in. "We have a problem!"

"Problem? Can't this wait? I'm quite busy at this very second."

"Yeah, I know, but I think our secret headquarters aren't so, um, _secret_ anymore."

The guard brought in the worker bot that Ratchet encountered from yesterday, still a broken mess from the rocks that crushed his body.

"What the hell happened?"

"I'm sor- sorry to inform yo-you sir," the robot shuddered on its words, "Bu-but we had some un-unexpected guests in th-the area."

"You mean there were more 'unexpected' guests?"

"On-one was some long ea-eared guy with some native girl and so-some advance dro-droid."

"Ratchet!" Talwyn shouted from the worker-bot's description. Marc turned his head over to her and put his cigarette back in between his teeth.

"Well things got a little more interestin' it seems. I shall inform Lania about this. She has a right to know." He took the robot out of his employee's hands as he opened the steel door. "Keep an eye on these two, would you?"

"Will do, sir."

Marc eyed Talwyn and Clank one last time before leaving the room. "I'll be back for you two later. Don't try anythin' stupid now, ya hear?" He then slammed the door shut, as the guard gave them an amused glare…

* * *

Ratchet and Nefarious reached the cave door again, noticing that the passage through the rock they'd formed was still not patched up. The robot walked out of it, while Ratchet took notice of a small sign hanging by the knob reading _'Under Maintenance'_ as he followed letting out a light laugh. "Heh, seems like they picked up on the damage."

Nefarious just rolled his eyes. "Can we please get this over with? The sooner we're done, the better."

Both walked through the jungle. Nefarious was about to set foot on the factory grounds until Ratchet pulled him out of the way by his wing. "GAH!" He turned over to the Lombax. "What was that abou-"

Ratchet pointed to a bunch of robotic guards with a knightly armored appearance as they hid behind a tree. Both the sentinels kept a lookout while they conversed with each other.

"The Data Room in the South Wing has just been updated," one of them said. "Wonder what's new?"

"Heh, all I know is that it is off limits to all personnel other than the scientists and data miners," the other one replied. "The ones who were downloading torrents and playing games had to ruin it for the rest of us!"

"Hey, you were one of them!"

"Oh shut up, I can't help that Fongoid Magic Adventure is addictive!"

"You put a month's pay into it!"

Ratchet leaned over to Nefarious, whispering softly. "We need to find another way inside."

"Anything you have in mind?"

"Hmm," Ratchet pondered as he tried to think of a plan.

"Wait!" The mad android said with inspiration.

"What?"

"I've got an idea!" his tone became sinister as he rubbed his hands together, contemplating his evil scheme. "A wonderfully wicked idea…"

"Why is it that I have a really bad feeling about this…?"

* * *

As the guards continued to keep watch, they heard a disturbance from behind the trees…

"Yoo-hoo! Over here!" Nefarious cheerfully bellowed a few feet away from them, as the guards just stared him down. "We're totally existent!"

"Halt!" One of them replied. "You are in a restricted area! Stay where you are or we shall use force!"

"Oh, I am _so_ scared!"

"Don't test us!" They raised their guns at him, taking aim. "Now, come quietly with your hands above your head!"

"You think you can give me orders?" Nefarious demanded while taunting them with a twirl and a slap of his rump.

The sentries immediately opened fire on the robot as he kept ducking and dodging the shots.

"HA! You can't get me!"

As they were occupied with the hologram, the real Nefarious and Ratchet started to sneak into an entrance without being spotted.

"Hope its batteries are fully charged…" Ratchet said.

"Don't worry," Nefarious replied back, "It will last for hours."

Finally getting inside, they started to walk through the hallways, observing the architecture. It had a medieval look to it with the walls painted a gray and red color scheme as chains decked the halls; but it still felt modern as the halls were bright and lit with high tech machinery that the two were familiar with.

"Someone seems to be fond of gothic architecture."

"Uh-huh," Nefarious just looked down at the Lombax, not caring. "So, now what?"

"Well, did you hear what those two guards were talking about?"

"Yeah, something about some data room being off limits due to idiots playing games."

"That, but I was more referring to something mentioned about it being updated?" Ratchet looked around, seeing if the coast was clear. "C'mon, they said it was in the South Wing."

"I just hope you know what you're doing, Squishie." Nefarious said in a rounded, yet worried tone.

"Hey, I've broken into your space station and your outpost on Zanifar, not to mention your 'impenetrable' base on Aquatos. C'mon, you know breaking and entering is a cinch for me."

The robot sighed. "Whatever; just don't get us killed."

"I'm more concerned you'll manage to get _yourself_ killed…"

* * *

"GAH!" The guards still were trying to take down the Nefarious hologram, oblivious to its true nature. "Why won't you _die_?!"

"Yoo-hoo! Over here!"

"Stop saying that, you already said that ten times!"

"Umm," one of them spoke out. "Do you find it quite odd that this guy kept saying the same lines so many times?"

"Yeah, and it's getting on my nerves!" he dropped his gun and ran up to it with a laser sword. "Now I got-"

When he swung the blade, the watch guard went through the hologram, falling flat on his face.

"We're totally exist-"

The decoy disappeared and the knightly robot shifted his gaze to his colleague. "It was a decoy!" He growled in frustration.

"That means the real one must be on factory grounds!" The other guard ran up and let his hand out, helping his partner up. "Should I send out the TTD?"

"Yes, that would be a great idea. We should inform the Empress about this as well."

They called upon the Thermal Trail Detector, and it came hovering right to the security droid.

"Seek out the trespassers."

With that, the TTD followed Ratchet's heat signature. One of the guards had remembered that the worker bot said two of the invaders were organic. Assuming that at least one of them had returned, it would be able to track it down. It flew outside and into the factory, while the two guards contacted HQ not too far from where they were…

* * *

"So," Nefarious spoke with Ratchet as they paced through the halls, "do you think we'll find anything useful in this data room?"

"Maybe," the Lombax replied. "Most of these evil villains seem to have their data lying out in the open anyways."

"What is that suppose to mean?"

"What? Did I offend?"

The robot snarled. "Hopefully we find something worthwhile. Otherwise it was pointless coming here."

The TTD perused the hallways, beeping more loudly and quickly as it got closer to the intruders. Ratchet's ears popped up as heard it behind him. "Did you hear that?"

Nefarious listened closely. As they talked to each other, the TTD rounded the corner up in front of them. Both looked at it as it stopped, still beeping.

' _Intruder alert! Intruder alert! All security personnel to the South Wing!'_

It started to go berserk with the sound of alarms. Both of them held their hands to their ears as it pierced through the whole building.

"What is that?!" Ratchet said.

"Freaking annoying, that's what!" Nefarious replied. He whacked it with his fist, causing it to lose control and slam into the wall into little pieces.

A group of guards came around the bend, the totalled TTD's scattered pieces crunching beneath their footfalls. They all had their weapons raised and aimed at Ratchet and Nefarious.

"Stop! You are trespassing on Neoprine Empire grounds!"

Both tried running the other way, only leaving them greeted by more soldiers as they were cornered.

"So what now, Lombax?"

"Well, there's not much we can do," Ratchet took out his wrench, holding a combat position. "You could try and negotiate with 'em. I'll use my OmniWrench, how about you?"

"Lasers probably, they make everything better." Nefarious cracked a malevolent grin as he fired up some energy from his hands. "Never thought I would have to fight alongside someone I hate, but I guess I'll let it slide this time."

"There's a first for everything." Both of them smiled at each other and nodded, then turned back at the guards.

Security put their hands on the triggers. "Come quietly and we will not cause ha-"

Nefarious fired his lasers at the group, torching the front line and causing the sentry bots to erupt in flames. The others backed away, firing their weapons at Nefarious who ducked every shot fired at him.

Ratchet flipped out of the line of fire, successfully landing a swipe from his wrench mid-jump and knocking over one of the sentries. The robot tumbled into his fellow sentinel who toppled over to the next, causing a line of robots to collapse like a row of dominoes. After successfully clearing a path Ratchet and Nefarious ran through the opening in the enemy lines and the remaining troops pursued them.

"We need to find a way to lose them!" Ratchet said

"Any ideas?"

Both turned to their right, running into a room and slamming the door shut behind them. Ratchet locked it and then took a chair, putting it under the knob, unwilling to take any chances. He took a quick glance around him.

"Great, we're trapped…"

"Hey, it's your fault why we turned this way, you idiot! Why'd we come here in the first place?"

"Don't worry; we'll find a way out without bumping into them again." They found themselves surrounded by computers and other technical equipment. "Well, looks like luck got us stuck in the data room."

"Excellent…" He replied in a malevolent tone, rubbing his hands together. Nefarious walked over to one of the computers; examining what it had on it with the keyboard.

"Interesting…" he said to himself.

"What is?" Ratchet turned around to the robot.

"It seems to have some fascinating data on here, most notably about some kind of research on dimensional travel." He turned over to the Lombax. "Seems like you weren't crazy after all…"

"Dimensional travel? Can you expand on what kind of research?"

"Not really, the files are locked."

"Well, do you think you can hack into the system?"

"I suppose I can, may be tricky though." Nefarious cracked his knuckles. "Well, time to freshen up the old hacking skills." He started to type at mach speed on the keyboard, hoping to unlock the data they needed. "I remember trying to hack into the school computer system to alter Qwark's grades back in ninth grade. Turned out I didn't need to; they were all terrible as it was!"

"Hey!" one of the guards wailed behind the door. "You have entered a room with classified information! Come out with your hands up or we have to force ourselves in there!"

"Crap." Ratchet turned over to the doctor, who was still trying to hack in. "Any luck?"

"Almost in…"

"Keep going," Ratchet said, "That research could be our ticket outta here."

"Out of this mess you've landed us in?"

"No, I meant this dimension."

"Oh, right." Nefarious searched the files, and found something. He pulled up some blueprints onto the large monitor in front of them

"What's that?" Ratchet asked.

"It appears to be the blueprints for technology to allow dimensional travel."

"How do you know that?"

"It says so at the top there. See?"

Ratchet looked up and saw a title reading "Experiential Dimension Travelling Technology. Oh, right!"

Nefarious put a floppy disk in one of the slots. "I'm downloading it now." He turned to Ratchet. "Do you think they developed this stuff on their own?"

"I don't think so," said Ratchet, looking at the bottom right corner of the image. "There's a note here that suggests otherwise."

"What's it say?"

Ratchet's eyes widened. "It says that it was based on technology _borrowed_ from a Dimensionator!"

" _A_ Dimensionator?! You mean there's several of those fashion violating things?!"

Banging came from the door and the two quickly turned around; surprised by the sudden thump. The troops were trying to barge their way in, concerning Ratchet. "Um, how much longer will it take to download the data?"

"Not so sure, taking quite a while as it is." Nefarious replied. "Give it an hour or so?"

"We don't have an hour, Nefarious…"

The door started to be hard-pressed, as they were about to penetrate through the entrance.

"Nefarious…?"

"Hey, it's starting to move a bit quicker now, still will need more time though!"

"They are about to break in!" the Lombax panicked, hoping that it would finish downloading already.

"Then _try_ to stall them until it's done, I have no control over these things!"

There was an explosion from the other side, causing the door to be blown out of the way and into the computer monitor as the troops started scampering in.

"Did that do anything?!" Ratchet distressed to Nefarious.

"No, the download's still going! Just... try going with the stall plan!"

Ratchet raised his wrench once again, biting down on his teeth.

"Don't know how long I can, though…"

* * *

The guard kept a good eye on both Talwyn and Clank, though he didn't consider them a threat. How could a young girl and a toaster be any more dangerous to him or the rest of the workers here?

Clank whispered over to Talwyn, both glad to hear that Ratchet was all right.

"He cannot be far."

"Yeah," Talwyn quickly replied back. "But how are we going to meet up with him?" She nodded her head in the direction of the guard. "He's blocking the door and there's nothing in the room that we can use to our advantage."

"That I am unsure of…"

Both geared their eyes back over to the heavy man watching over them.

"I think I may have an idea, Clank."

"What is it you have planned?"

She looked around the room one last time, and cleared her voice before she spoke.

"Um, excuse me?"

The guard quickly raised his chin, greeting her with an unpleasant stare. "What d'ya want, little girl?"

"Erm, I need to use the restroom," Talwyn said, crossing her legs.

"Argh, _seriously_?!" He shifted his sight over to Clank. "What about the little guy?"

"My oil needs… changing."

He rolled his eyes. "Fine, c'mon…" He waved his hand to both of them as the two got up, leading the prisoners to the restroom. "Just make sure to make it quick, I don't have all day."

They walked through the hallways without saying a word until they stopped right outside the lavatory door.

"You go first little girl, and make it snappy!"

Talwyn gave him a fierce look as she walked inside. Within, she took a good look around, and started to analyze the place for some way of escape, with no luck.

There were no windows whatsoever, the ventilation ducts were welded shut, and a Qwark-style escape down the toilet wasn't possible due to the size of the pipes, even for Clank.

"Are you ok in there? Ya sure taking a long time."

"Um, yes, just having a bit of plumbing issues."

"Whatever."

Clank looked up to the guard while he had his back turned. His hand formed into his Geolaser and he took aim. The little droid then zapped him.

"Eeoww!" He cried out. "What the-" Rapidly, he turned around, seeing the gun within Clank's hand. "Why you little!"

Clank ran down the halls as the guard followed, trying to distract him. Hopefully, it would give Talwyn more time…

* * *

Talwyn didn't know what to do. There was absolutely no way to flee and they were running out of options.

She heard yelling outside the bathroom, causing her to quickly run to the door. She hid behind the wall as she peeked through the crack, hoping to get a glimpse.

Clank was still keeping the guard busy, giving another zap from his laser this time in the foot. "Come back here you little-AH!"

Talwyn rushed back in and looked around the bathroom. Lying on the ground, there was a thick plastic pole in her sight. She picked it up, and quickly ran out of the room.

The guard finally managed to get a hold of Clank, his hand grasped tightly around the little robot's neck. With his other hand he pulled a gun from a holster on his side.

"Ha, cute little plan you had there, buddy," The blaster he held was aimed at the android's head, with the guard holding a big, evil grin on his mug. "Didn't think that girl and you would try to outwit me, but I guess I was wrong. After I kill you, I'll do the same wit-"

The next thing he knew, he was seeing stars causing him to let go of Clank, who landed safely on his feet as the guard fell down with a _thump_.

Talwyn dropped the pole and ran over to her friend. "Clank, you okay?!"

"Yes, I am fine. Thank you…"

"C'mon, we should get out of here before more guards come." Talwyn grabbed the little robot by the hand and put him on her back. "I hope you don't mind?"

"Not at all. In fact, I am quite used to it."

Before they started to run off, Talwyn took eye of the guard's firearm that was lying on the floor beside him. She picked it up, and put it right in her gun pouch.

"Let's hope we can get to Ratchet before they do…"

* * *

"Ah!"

Ratchet was slammed into the wall as he breathed heavily. He picked up his wrench again, gearing his eyes back over to Nefarious. "How much time left? I don't know how long I can keep this up!"

"Almost done…"

"I hope you're right about that." The Lombax tried to lead the security bots into a corner so he could fight them more easily. Seeing a gun on the floor, he picked it up and put his finger on the trigger, as the large blast from the laser caused them to fall flat to the ground.

Nefarious watched the screen, as the meter was almost to one-hundred percent. "Come on, come on…" His words followed a ring from the computer, as he jumped up.

 _*Download complete. Please don't leave any data storage drives unattended. We are not accountable for any lost items. We will laugh at your incompetence, though*_

"Yes!" He quickly took the disk out of the slot, and put it away. "Ok, I got-AH!"

One of the security guards shoved into Nefarious by accident, pushing him into a wall and hitting a big, red button on the control panel, as flashing red lights filled the building.

 _*Thank you for activating the Self Destruct Mechanism. This factory will detonate in about five minutes . If I were you, I would think about spending your time meaningfully and wisely.*_

"Oh crap!" The guards started to run out of the room, trying to flee before the structure exploded. Ratchet snarled at the mad robot, not at all pleased.

"Good going, toaster head!"

"It was an accident!" He started to panic. "What's the point of _even_ having those things, anyways?! Some idiot is going to set it off!"

"Yup. _Some_ idiot." Ratchet let out a frustrated growl as he forced himself to end the argument there. They needed to evacuate. Preferably while they were still alive.

"Besides, you're the one who actually spends time _with_ a toaster!"

 _*Four minutes left until total annihilation. Unless you have a death wish, I advise leaving sooner rather than later. Preferably now.*_

They both started running the hallways, desperate to reach the exit in time. "Let's just hope you didn't completely screw us over…"

* * *

Marc was still discussing the matter of what happened yesterday with the worker-bot, repairing him throughout the interrogation.

"So, let me get this straight. A local, a furball and their walkin' radio spied on the factory, but you have no reason why?"

"No sir, not a clue."

"Do you at least know how they got there?"

"Same answer, sir."

The Levisian just sighed, knowing he wasn't going to get any more info out of him. He just shook his head putting his screwdriver down, annoyed. "This week's just been gettin' better and better."

A knock was heard from the door. "Come in…"

One of the cloaked figures from the other day stepped into the room. They removed their hood, revealing a young Blaargian girl beneath it. She couldn't be any younger than a teenager. "Is this a bad time, sir?"

He looked at her, confused. "Murka, why are you here?"

"I was advice to come here daily. Didn't Lania tell you that?"

"Oh yeah, right, another babysittin' job, I forgot…"

"You don't sound too thrilled to see me. And you aren't babysitting me anymore than I seem to have to babysit most of the adults."

"Yeah, yeah, I know the drill; don't need you to explain it again to me." He sighed. "Sorry kid, not in the best of moods. If I'm puttin' my anger out on you, my apologies." He walked away from the table the worker bot was sitting on, holding a small smile "What do you need?"

She kept her blank look as she spoke softly. "Nothing really. Other than the norm."

"Any luck findin' that Core thing?"

"Nope. I have a feeling that it's not here though, or in this dimension."

"Guessin' that means you'll be movin' on this time tomorrow then?"

"What? You'll miss me-" She was interrupted by a beeping sound from a disk in her cloak pocket. She picked it up, and a hologram appeared of Lania.

"Yes, my lady?" Murka asked.

"You said you wanted to speak to me about something?" Lania said.

"Yes, I did." Murka walked out of the room to continue the conversation in private. "I'm sorry about that my lady, I was just reporting in."

"Understandable. So, what is it you wanted? I am a bit busy at the moment, so I can't talk for long."

"Well," Murka spoke. "Our search for the Core hasn't gotten far here in this dimension. I know you mentioned Ranvier said there were traces of Zoni technology here but we couldn't find any. Other scouts you sent informed us of the same results."

Lania just sighed in annoyance. "Is that all?"

"No, my lady, I have some good news."

"…go on?"

"I believe you sent an agent over to planet Torren IV, dimension 3XTE a few days ago, right?"

"Yes, I sent Flint Vorselon over there."

"Well, your scouts were close. It's definitely somewhere in the Polaris Galaxy."

This new information seemed to please the empress. "Have you figured out where?"

"No, but we're narrowing it down to a few selected planets. I shall inform you in the upcoming days."

"Very well, is that all?"

"For now, yes."

"Well, thank you for the update, dear. Keep up the good work," Before Lania was about to sign off, she turned her attention to Murka one more time. "And speaking of Flint, if you happen to bump into him, tell him that we learned about some Lombax sneaking around the factory on that island yesterday. He said he wanted to take care of it 'personally' or something."

"I shall inform him about it if I see him, my lady."

"Thank you Murka. Lania out."

Her hologram disappeared and Murka put the disk back into her pocket, and before she was about to return to Marc, she heard yelling from the other room…

"What do you mean the prisoners escaped?! How can some girl and her toaster take you off guard?!"

"I-I'm sorry sir," The guard replied on a small TV screen, "I didn't think it would happen either."

"Augh!" He pulled the hair on the top of his head from stress, having a few strains in his hands. He then started to stomp away from the monitor, picking up a gun as he was about to run out the door. He turned around before leaving, popping out one more question. "Did you set the alarms at the very least?"

"Yes sir, I did."

"Good." Marc went right out the door, slamming it shut as he passed by the girl. She just looked at him pacing fast with a small smirk on her face.

"Long day yourself, Mr. Ramrock?"

"Not now kid..."

* * *

 _*The coffee vending machine has run out of cappuccino. Oh, and there is one minute until self-destruction. If you haven't gotten out already, you are surely screwed.*_

Ratchet's and Nefarious' time was about to run out. They wouldn't make it to the front gate in time, and they had very little alternatives left.

"This is entirely your fault, Lombax!"

"You're the one who landed on the button, rust bucket!"

"You forced me to com-"

"Wait!" Ratchet shouted and pointed to a small window leading back outside. "We got to jump!"

" _What?!_ " The robot balked at the idea. "Are you trying to get us killed?!"

"There aren't any other choices we have left…"

 _*Thirty seconds until self-destruct.*_

Ratchet took a quick scan around the room, and then turned over to Nefarious. "…Unless you want to become scrap metal…"

 _*Twenty seconds until self-destruct.*_

Both looked at each other, and then back at the window. "I think I may become that either way…"

"It's now or never."

 _*Ten seconds until self-destruct. Nine, Eight…*_

"Never thought I'd die with a Squishie."

"How about dying with a friend?"

 _*Seven, six, five…*_

"Nope, didn't think that either."

"Neither did I, actually…"

 _*Four, three…*_

And then they both leaped out of the window and plummeted below.

 _*Two, one, zero. The Self Destruct Mechanism has been activated, have a nice day.*_

An explosion erupted all over the building, blowing up everything inside. Debris flew all over the place as the two were still plunging downward. They were engulfed with fear as they gripped each other tightly, screaming as they continued to torpedo to the ground.

"Oh my Zoni, we're going to _die_!"

Nefarious was so scared that he accidentally triggered the jets in his boots, causing them both to float gently down to the ground, neither one of them aware they were safe on the soil until Ratchet opened one of his eyes. He opened the other one and sighed in relief.

"Well, would you look at that." The Lombax raised an eyebrow at Nefarious, who still shaking from horror. "Uh, Nef, you're a bit close to me right now."

Nefarious opened his eyes in shock, and let go immediately as he jumped into the air and fell onto the dirt. "Ah!" He backed away a bit. "Let us never mention this again!"

They looked around the area, viewing what was left of the factory with the remains flung all over the place. The robot just laughed, as he quickly got off the earth, rubbing the dirt off of him. "Well, now that we've averted that disaster…"

"Halt!" said a robotic voice a short way away from them.

Factions of troops were circled around the heroes, blocking their path and any route of escape. All were holding up their guns, pointing them right at the pair. Both the Lombax and robot took one step back, with Ratchet taking out his wrench.

Nefarious sighed. "This again…" He roared up some dark matter in his hands. "So, which side do you want to take?"

Ratchet looked up to him. "I'll take the left, you take the right."

"Works for me…"

* * *

Clank stuck his finger into the panel's port and searched the computer while Talwyn attempted to hold off the guards.

"HA, you're cornered now, baldie! That terminal is protected with a Level Nine Access Protocol! It would take a computer with an IQ of 3 billion several thousand light years to hack through that kind of security!"

"Uh, sir," a fellow guard pointed out, "light years measures distance, not time."

"Shut it, you!"

"Clank," Talwyn whispered, "how far are you in hacking the pad?"

"Zero point two percent."

"Ugh, this is taking too long. Stand back Clank!" Clank hopped off of the security panel and cleared the way for her to shoot her blaster at it. The door retracted up, allowing Clank and Talwyn to escape.

"They're escaping! After them!"

They all ran throughout the jungle, searching for their prisoners only to just pass them as Talwyn and Clank hid in a ditch off of the trail. After a while, once it had quieted down, the two emerged to find the coast was clear.

"I believe we have lost them."

"Let's hope it remains that way." Talwyn sighed in relief. "Now that we're out of their clutches, let's find Ratchet. I know he can't be far…"

"May want to reconsider changin' your plans then."

They turned around. Their eyes caught Marc, aiming a gun as he blew smoke out of his mouth from a newly lit cigarette.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!" Talwyn said in frustration.

"Now, now, we don't want to cause any trouble. We may have some bad blood but I don't want any harm to come to either of you, Miss. So why don't you two come with me, and maybe we can discuss things in a more... _civil_ matter?"

They took a step backwards until they reached the edge of the cliff. The girl grew uneasy due to the fact they didn't have anywhere else to sprint to. Talwyn looked at Clank, and nodded and took out her pistol, aiming it at Marc. "We're not going anywhere…" she said.

The spy followed her statement with a small laugh and a smile. "You sure have one big spark, Miss; I'll give you that. But," He put his figure on the trigger, "If I have to take you in by force, I-AH!"

Before he could fire his weapon, he was shot in the kneecap by Talwyn, causing him to drop his gun as he held his wound. "Oh you - GAH!"

"You made one of the biggest mistakes a villain can make," Clank replied from behind him, "Your speech went on for too long. Hee hee hee hee."

"GAH, damn it!"

Talwyn and Clank started to run off the other way, as Marc could only watch them leave. "Hey! C'mon Miss, don't be like that! I'm just doin' my job!" He got up slowly, but the bleeding was slowing him down as he tried to catch up. " _Ah_ , screw it. I don't get paid enough for this crap…"

* * *

A pile of guards were a few inches away from the two, letting out a chorus of pained moans. Nefarious rubbed his hands together, letting out a small, evil laugh. "That was fun! Can we do it again?"

Ratchet stroked the sweat from his forehead, exhausted as he leaned on his wrench. "I'm glad you're enjoying yourself."

"I need to do this more often," Nefarious replied, as he stretched out his arms, "though, not alongside a Squishie."

The Lombax just rolled his eyes, and just as he was about to walk again, his pupils widened…

A new batch of troops came running their way. Nefarious was just dumbfounded by the new arrivals. "How many of these guys are there? Seriously, do you always have to put up with this?!"

"Welcome to my life, and hey, didn't you have an army once?"

A portal then opened behind the army and a huge mech stepped out of it. The pilot quickly took notice of the two and locked on to its target before coming on the loudspeaker.

"New orders from the General. Destroy target on sight."

And with that, the machine guns attached to the mech's arms took aim and fired on them. The rest of the soldiers followed their orders and Ratchet and Nefarious jumped out of the way. The doctor fired his lasers at the army, taking down enough enemies to allow the pair time to take shelter.

They both hid behind a rock. Ratchet poked his head out for a second to get another glimpse. "Well this is going to be a pain to take down"

"This pathetic piece of machinery is nothing in comparison to the VX-99."

"You're acknowledging the fact I totally decimated that thing?"

"What?! Of course not! I'm merely pointing out a fact!"

"Which is totally non-applicable in this scenario unless you're referring to the time I blew up the object in question."

"You are losing focus of the matter at hand! My lasers need to recharge after using them for the last hour and the dark matter bombs are getting low. Gotta reserve them."

"Wait, _you're_ low on _supplies_?!"

"Well, if we were at my space station we could resto-oh wait, you destroyed that months ago and we're in the middle of nowhere! What, you think I just pull these things out of my ass?"

"Well, you do sorta-"

"W _e're_ surrounded by goons and _this_ is what you want to argue about?!"

"If it makes you feel better, it's not like I'm full of bullets myself right now."

"So I guess we're screwed."

Ratchet turned around for a quick second but it didn't take him long to go back into hiding as a blaster bolt barely hit him. His teeth bit down hard as he winced before facing Nefarious. "Yeah, we're totally screwed."

"Wonderful..."

* * *

Talwyn and Clank followed the path down to the factory grounds. It wasn't long until they heard gun fire below them and once the growth widened their sight; they found the source.

"Talwyn, look, I see Ratchet," Clank pointed downward seeing their friend still hiding behind the boulder which was weathering down from the gun force of the mech. The robot then took notice of who was next to him. "And….is that Doctor Nefarious?"

"Nefarious? Why would he be with Ratchet?"

"I do not know, but either way we must help them."

"I agree; but," Talwyn jerked her head over to the mech, "How are we gonna get pass that?"

* * *

Their cover finally shattered and left them open to fire.

The two turned around. "Oh. Super." Ratchet didn't even bother to cover the deadpan in his voice.

Nefarious just sighed. "Well, I guess there are worse ways to go…"

The mech pointed its guns in the direction of the two. "Locked onto target. Prepare to-"

"AH!"

The soldier in the mech turned around in response to his comrade's scream. The foot soldier was trying to dodge gunfire raining from above. His attempts were futile as a blaster shot ripped through his head and he landed dead on his back. The surviving soldier turned his attentions to the sky where Talwyn descended via Clank's heli pack off the rubble.

"Halt," the mech's weapons pointed up, "You are trespassing on-!"

With a thump she landed right on the mech's hatch, using her gun to break the glass. As it shattered, the soldier just glared up at her.

"Oh," the monotone voice of the mech droned.

Talwyn then threw the soldier right out of the mech and she climbed into the cockpit. Clank hopped off of her back. "Do you know how to control this machine?"

"Nope, not a clue. I'll just do what Ratchet does and wing it…"

"Clank, Talwyn?!" Ratchet shouted

With a press of a button on the handles, the gun rattled all over the battlefield taking down soldiers with it as Talwyn tried to gain back control.

The lombax saw the bullets flying within Nefarious and his direction. "Get down!" They both scattered to the wind and rolled out of the way as the robot just glared up at the girl in the mech.

"Be more careful, you moron!"

Talwyn didn't bother to respond as she was too focused on figuring out how _not_ to get herself killed trying to drive this thing. It didn't take long until she started to move the thing as the mech stepped down on its opponents. "Ratchet, where are you?!"

"I'm over here!" Ratchet waved over to her in hope she or Clank spotted him.

Both passengers looked around until Clank found where the Lombax was shouting from. "Ratchet!"

"Yeah, I see him," Talwyn went back to the controls. "I'm coming over, just hold-"

It wasn't long until more portals opened up behind them as three more mechs approached. Talwyn just growled in frustration.

"This has gone on long enough!" One of the soldiers in the mech spoke, "Lower your weapons and step out of the mech!"

She put her hand on the trigger and prepared to fire but was met with nothing but clicks. She was out of ammo. "uh-oh…"

"Step out of the mech! This is your final warning!"

She bit her lip. Talwyn's eyes shifted all over the place. It wasn't until she spotted a button on the dashboard that read 'unleash hell' on it.

"Clank, I think I'm about to do something _really_ stupid." She quickly turned around. "Ratchet, take cover!"

"What?!" Ratchet didn't argue further however and heeded her warning. "Nefarious-"

"Yeah, I heard," Nefarious was already hiding behind debris from the factory as Ratchet followed.

Talwyn sighed. "I hope I don't regret this…" She then slammed her fist on the button and all of a sudden the mech's lights turned red.

 _*Unleash Hell protocol activated. Stand by for complete whoop ass.*_

A hatch behind the cockpit opened and not a second too soon, so many rockets flew up in the air that it was hard to keep count. None of the troopers had time to react.

"Oh shi-"

The rockets rained down from above on their foes as explosions went off all around them. They all closed their eyes and put their hands over their ears from the sound.

Moments passed and it became quiet. After the dust cleared, Talwyn and Clank opened their eyes and took notice of the surrounding area...

There was nothing but scrap around them as the enemy mechs were destroyed and the foot soldiers either scattered to the wind or their pieces littered the place.

"...well then…"

Talwyn climbed out of the cockpit with Clank and onto solid ground. She looked around for Ratchet before spotting him. "Ratchet!" The two ran up to him.

"Man, am I glad to see you tw-" Ratchet didn't get to finish his words as Talwyn ran into him and she wrapped her arms around him.

"You had me worried Ratchet. We were looking for you for days and-"

"I know," The lombax embraced her lightly, "I was worried about you too, Tal."

 _"Ahem…"_

Their reunion was interrupted by Nefarious. They both let go as they turned to where he was stomping his foot.

"Sorry to interrupt your Hallmark moment, but don't you two think this isn't the time or place?"

Talwyn just glared him down. It wasn't until Clank spoke that she snapped out of it. "Doctor Nefarious? Why are you-"

"He's right though," Ratchet butted in, "This isn't the place to have this conversation. There could be more guards down our throats any second. We should get somewhere safe."

"Agreed." The little robot nodded as they took their leave…

* * *

The four found themselves back in the cavern as they stolled through the darkness with Nefarious charging up his lasers just enough to light the way. The girl and Clank were still baffled about why the mad doctor was with Ratchet to begin with...

"So, you going to explain him," Talwyn pointed at Nefarious, "or..."

"It's a long story."

"Not like we're going anywhere Ratchet. Unless the Neoprine send out a search party, whoever they may be."

"Yeah, the guards may have dropped the name a few times."

"Hm," Clank broke his silence as he looked over to Nefarious, "Perhaps you wish to share your reason for fighting alongside us Doctor?"

Nefarious rolled his eyes. "Long story short: I landed here, he was right beside me, can't get home so decided to stick around until we figure out how."

"Even if it means working with an organic?"

"So I'm being a bit more flexible than normal. Trust me, if things were different; he'd be dead."

"Oh c'mon Nefarious. It's not like you'd be lost without me."

"Shut it, Lombax."

" _Anyways_ , we should head back to Jens' place."

"Jens?" Talwyn looked baffled.

"Oh, she's a local who let us crash at her place the last few days. Doubt she'll have a problem with two more guests."

"At least she sounds like a better host than the one Clank and I had."

"Is that how you heard about the Empire?"

"Pretty much. The next thing we know we're held captive by someone working under Empress Lania."

"Lania? Have you learned anything else?"

"Other than her title, your guess is as good as mine. You think that's who Vorselon is working for?"

"Maybe. We'll figure it out later."

"Please tell me you don't want to still seek him out." Nefarious added.

"No, but he knows more about what's going on than any of us. Though with our luck, we'll bump into him sooner or later.."

The four finally left the cave and started to head back to Jens' house as Nefarious let the power from his hand die out.

"So what about you, Ratchet?" Talwyn asked, "You learn anything?"

"Yeah. Whatever reason it may be, this empire has their hands on Dimensionator technology."

"Dimensionator? You mean they have access to a trans-dimensional hat?"

"Erm, I'd say more of a pocket watch or belt clip but yeah. Nefarious was able to hack and download one of their schematics," The lombax turned over to Nefarious. "You still got it, right?"

The tall robot took out the floppy, waving it around freely. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, I got it."

He then looked back the others, "But yeah, It could be our ticket home. If we can replicate the device that is."

"Device?" Talwyn questioned, stopping in her tracks. "Couldn't we just find a ship and fly home?"

"Well, it's a bit more complicated than that, Tal. Home is... well, it's further away than you'd think."

"Another long story I assume."

They remained quiet for a little bit until a thought popped into Ratchet's head. "Oh, Clank! About Jens," he looked down at the small robot, "Don't be alarmed if she starts freaking out from seeing you."

"How so?" Clank chirped.

"Well, she can be a bit... _eccentric_."

"I do not see why that would be a-..."

* * *

" _Aaaah!_ " Jens screeched just from the sight of seeing Clank. "Ain't you just the cutest thing!?"

"Well, yes I am-"

The next thing Clank knew he was swept off his feet and held tightly within her arms."Oh, I can just eat you all up!"

The little robot tried to move within her tight grip as he looked over to Ratchet. "I can see from what you mean by eccentric."

"Told ya."

"At least it isn't me this time," Nefarious remarked under his breath.

"Um, Jens?" Clank tried to squeeze out of her lock, "as much as it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, perhaps a handshake would do just as well…"

"Oh, sorry," Jens gently put him down and got back up on her feet. "Well then; It'll be a bit tight; but I'm sure I'll be able to find the extra room for you two."

* * *

Ratchet caught Talwyn and Clank up to speed on the last few days. He talked about all he learned as they tried to wrap their heads around all of the events that took place.

The first thing they did as they walked into Jens house was find a way to make the schematic readable. Jens managed to find an old computer and printer in her attic and after some yelling about how outdated it was, Nefarious managed to get it to work.

Laying the sheet onto the kitchen table, the five scanned over them. For the foreigners, it was easy to understand. For Jens however; it was as if she was trying to learn another language. Hearing all of this new terminology she questioned how they were able to keep up with all of it.

It hit twilight. Despite her lack of knowledge compared to the other four, Jens wanted to help. Ratchet suggested that perhaps she could go to the village and pick up some of the parts needed for the Dimestatnor. The rest stayed behind. Likely wasn't the wisest choice to leave her guests by themselves but since three of the four seemed to be stable; she trusted them to at least keep the doctor from setting the roof on fire...

"You think Jens will have no problem finding the stuff we need?" Talwyn poured some juice from the fridge into a glass as she spoke across the room.

"Hope so. She knows the basic nuts and bolts but we'll have to lift our weight on the more complex parts. That factory had some advanced tech we're similar with. That and they were able to build these before. Gotta have something there."

"You mean the factory we destroyed, right?" Nefarious remarked as he layed on the sofa with his arms and legs stretched out.

"I think you mean that _you_ destroyed, Nefarious? There has to be something we can salvage."

"Would it be safe even going over there?" Talwyn walked back over to the table and pulled out a chair. "It wouldn't surprise me if this Lania person sent men there to clean up."

"We'll have to be careful then. Maybe head over there when it's sundown."

"Ratchet?"

"Yes?" Ratchet turned to Clank, who was lifting the blueprints above his head, causing them to flop over him as he read. "What is wrong?"

"Nothing is, I am just examining the draft. This is much more advanced than the Dimensionator you and I found over two years ago."

"How so? I mean outside of it being miniaturized for wear."

"Look for yourself."

He passed the schematics over to Ratchet. The Lombax only briefly skimmed over the specs before but now he took notice of the structure of it. On a basic level it was similar to the Dimensionator created by the Lombaxes. But upon further examination Ratchet realized there were crucial differences. Aside from the miniaturized design, the device wasn't limited to use by its wearer. It could be attached to a vehicle or external device, increasing the transporter's capacity.

"Hmm," Ratchet pondered to himself. What really got to him was how this 'empire' was able to get a hold of the technology to begin with. It surely couldn't have been an easy feat.

"Hey, Nefarious?" Ratchet called over to his foe from across the room. "You're a super villain, right? How would you get your hands on some highly classified blueprints?"

"Well," The mad scientist rubbed his chin, "first you've got to have your plan down, know your motivation and how you want to go forward with it, then get a good team to break into the location where they could, or are holding it, or do it yourself if you are a solo act. There's a lot more to it, but overall it's a long progress, why do you ask?"

"Oh, just asking. Trying to figure out something…"

"Just so you know, I have no evil schemes planned at the moment so your ears can stop twitching."

"I'm more curious how they were even able to get a hold of the data, considering it's Lombax research."

"And you think _I_ know?" An overconfident smile graced his features, "Though, if they're anything like me, I'm sure they had some stylish scheme that they pulled off."

"Yeah Nefarious, very _stylish_ …"

"Hey, being a supervillain is just as much an art as it is a job!"

"If you say so…"

Ratchet turned around from the sound of a door creaking as it opened, followed by a light slam.

"Well, I have all the pieces," said Jens, placing a small sack full of gadgetry trinkets onto the table. "But there was one I couldn' find."

"Which one was that?"

"A gear. You wouldn' believe it, but all the shops were out of the size you wanted. Even Cal was sold out. I can perhaps get one ordered for you; but that could take weeks before it even reaches Rado. Otherwise, I haven' a clue where you'll be able to find one."

"Hmmm," Ratchet looked slyly into Nefarious' green dome, cracking a wicked grin. "I have a very good idea where…"

Nefarious glared over to Ratchet, seeing the look he held. "Oh no." He said, getting up in protest. "Oh, no, no no no no no NO!"

"Come on, Nefarious, help out! You've been doing nothing but complain and insult us about our squishiness since we got here-"

"And for _good reason_!"

"-don't you think you could try and be more useful?"

"There's a difference between being useful and becoming a used parts outlet! If you honestly believe that-!"

"Yeah, I know, 'no way would I help a squshie'," Ratchet attempted to mimic Nefarious' voice before speaking normally again, "But unless we work together, we won't be able to return home."

He rolled his eyes. "Still not doing it…"

"Well, if you want to stay here longer, I'm sure Jens wouldn't mind."

Nefarious turned over to Jens, giving him a salute with a small innocent smile. The thought of being stuck with them forever was bad enough. Being stuck with _her_ however…

"Ergh... argh... orght..." The mad robot contorted his face. He really didn't want to lend his own parts to his mortal enemy. But,if it was to get back home...

Nefarious flipped open his dome and removed the gear. "Fine, here you go, but that voids my warranty. If I break, I'm having you foot the bill!"

Ratchet held in a cheeky smirk, as Nefarious looked busted up anyway.

"Not another word…"

Ratchet put the gear onto the table next to the rest of the pieces they were going to use to assemble the device. "Thanks Nefarious, You can be so generous sometimes."

Nefarious got up, not wanting to stick around any longer.

"Where are you going?" Talwyn asked

"Outside. I'm gonna check to see if I'll still be functional with a piece missing."

"If we hear an explosion, I call dibs on your left leg!" Jens called out as Nefarious left the door. She then walked over to the table and leaned in. As she hovered over them, she took another look at the blueprints herself out of curiosity. " _So_ , you three know what you're doin'?"

"I think so," Ratchet answered back.

"I never seen anythin' like it before. I'm kinda curious what your dimension is like if you can make things like this all on your own."

"Well, it's kinda in the blood for me." Ratchet said. "I think Lombaxes have a knack for building stuff on their own."

"That is correct." Clank confirmed. "He once modified me with a Levitator by only reading the first step in a fifty-step instruction manual. Which was written in Blargian."

Jens looked over to Ratchet in amazement. "Wow, you do have skills!" she said.

"You know it!" Ratchet replied.

Jens put the blueprints back down, as she turned back over to Ratchet. "So, when you plan on headin' home?"

"That depends. We still have to put it together."

"Still, wouldn' want you to remain here too long."

"Kicking us out already?"

"Of course not! But the house is gettin' kinda full."

Ratchet snorted. "Don't worry, you'll have your house back soon, I promise."

"Anyways, I'm gettin' ready for bed. Tal, I have a spare sleepin' bag in the attic. It may be a little dusty but with a quick clean up, it's yours. Or you can have my bed I guess…"

"Thanks Jens, but I'm fine with the bag."

She gave the other girl a smile. "I'll go get it then."

Ratchet yawned as he stretched out his arms. "Yeah, I think I'm gonna hit the hay too. We got a long few days ahead of us." He started to walk over to his room, and then turned his head around. "I just hope this works out in the end. Don't know how long I could deal with that rust bucket out there."

"I heard that!" came a yell from outside.

The Lombax ignored him. "Anyways, night guys..."

* * *

Meanwhile, Vorselon was taking care of business. This wretched rat would pay for what he did to him. Yes, he would pay dearly...

" _Fifteen ninety-five for a cheeseburger?!"_

"Y-yes, sir, that is the price we are asking," cried the guy behind the counter, as he shivered.

"Why is your pathetic fast food so expensive?!"

"B-because our food stocks are running low, I-it isn't easy to breed cows you know..."

"Well then stock up on Mootators! I will have this burger for one-fifty and I won't accept anything less!"

A tone ringed to notify him that he had a call. He held up his palm, rolling his eye…

"Who is it?"

"Your empress."

Vorselon gasped in shock. "Laina! Er, um, what are you calling for?"

"Just wanted to remind you that your target is well-armed, but I can see that you're... _busy_ , at the moment. Dining for fast food, are we?"

"Er, no, no not at all!" Vorselon swiped his burger quickly and set it down on a table at to the other end of the store. "But yes, I am aware that he is heavily armed."

"What the _hell_ are you doing in a fast food joint?! You're supposed to be trailing that furball!"

"Er, well, I thought I could do with a break, and, uh-"

"Failure is not an excuse to slack off!" The empress's frustration was exacerbated by her dumbfoundedness as she added, "Besides, you're in a tank, how are you supposed to eat anything?!"

The Terraklon stopped fumbling for excuses for his incompetence as he realized his empress was losing her patience. "I'll get back to you when I have killed the Lombax." Vorselon hung up and opened the panel inside his palm, jerking out the cord that connected to his holophone receiver so he wouldn't be interrupted. He slithered back over to the table. "Now, I can eat my meal in-" His eye opened wide after seeing his food being devoured by a young Blargian girl.

"Hey! That was my burger, _you_ insolent child!"

Murka turned around while chewing on the meat, speaking with her mouth full. "But you refused to pay for it. That guy you yelled at needed to make money too, you know." She gulped down her food. "Besides, aren't you a mercenary? I'd think you'd make a good enough living to pay for a small burger…"

He growled in frustration as she finished her last bite. Vorselon lifted the girl up by the collar of her cloak in an attempt to intimidate the girl yet she kept a straight face. "You disrespectful girl, do you not know who you are messing with?! You will pay for-" The girl quickly took out a pocket knife, and put it right in front of his face.

"Unless you want to be a fish out of water, I advise you to let go of me." The Blaarg gave him a confident smirk. "Not to mention it was only a burger, nothing to get all finicky over, Mr. Vorselon."

He gave her a puzzled look. "How do you know my name?! Speak, adolescent!" He shook her while asking the question.

"Please put me down," she replied while drawing her blade closer to him, causing the Terraklon to drop her to the floor, landing on her back.

"As for your question Mr. Vorselon, I happen to be a scout for Empress Lania." She finally stood up, putting her weapon back into her cloak pouch. "Though, I have to say, you're not what I was expect-" He bursted out laughing, humoured by Murka's reply. She eyed him suspiciously, unable to see what was so amusing.

"Okay, I'll bite. What's so funny?"

He continued to laugh as he just looked at the girl, pointing. "Aww, that's just adorable." He gave her a pat on the head like she was a small puppy before crossing his arms. "Do you honestly believe I'd buy something like that? Tell me your name."

"Why?"

"So I can find out what kindergarten you're from. I hear one of them is missing a squirmy little brat who won't act her age!"

She just snickered in amusement. Not the first time someone had mocked her for her age. "Very cute, Mr. Vorselon, but anyways, I am Murka and Lania told me to find you. She informed me you were falling behind your mission. Something about capturing a Lombax, if I'm not mistaken…?"

Vorselon grabbed her from over the table. " _No one_ is supposed to know about that mission!"

"So how do you think I know about it, stupid?" The teen said with calm confidence.

"Because you work fo-" Vorselon stopped mid-sentence. He quickly and simply let go of her. "Right."

She just rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't know about Lania if I was not working for her, let alone your assignment. It's not rocket science." She then moved closer with no regard for his personal space. "Besides, I did take you off guard with that knife, didn't I? No normal _brat_ would be playing with fire; let alone working for a huge evil empire. Unless you know someone I don't?"

"Pff," The mercenary pushed her out of the way, causing her to fall back down to the floor as he slithered to the door. "I don't have my time to waste with you, child. I have a job to do."

"Doesn't seem like it's going so well though," Getting back up, Vorselon was about to leave the fast food joint before the small voice spoke once more.

"I have to say, Mr. Vorselon, for someone claiming to be a brutal, five star mercenary; you sure do fail at it."

He turned around quickly, not taking the comment lightly. "Don't _underestimate_ me child, you're getting on my last nerves and I will not hold back on killing you."

"Oh, really now?" She put wore a small smirk. "I dare you to even try."

He looked over at her, as he started to laugh at her challenge. "Hahaha! How cute, the puny little blaarg girl thinks she can beat me, the great Lord Vorselon! HA! Well, bring it on!"

"Alright," She reached into her cloak pocket and took hold of a hilt like object. With a press of a button, it expanded and formed a pole, "I could use the exercise."

He looked over at her weapon. "You seriously think a stick could beat me?"

"I think a toddler can beat you under the right circumstances."

He didn't hesitate any longer and came hands fluming with electricity at her. "Why you little-!" Because he could even get close enough for the hit, Murka leaped over him with grace and he barely even caught the fact that she was now behind him. "What the-?"

She high kicked with force causing him to lose his balance but swiftly caught it before he landed to the ground. The next thing he knew, she was nowhere in sight.

"Huh?" Vorselon didn't even realize his tentacles were causing him to turn in a circular pattern. "Where are you, brat?!" The next moment, a whack with her staff hit him in the tank right before she round kicked his suit, sending him fly across the room. She leaped back into the air and with another kick, the weight between his suit and her had them crashing through a wall and right outside the restaurant.

He skidded on the dirt below before finally coming to a stop. The first thing Vorselon saw once he opened his eye again was Murka above him with the knife end of her staff staring at him straight in the face as she used pressure from her left foot to keep him pinned down.

"You were saying?" Murka snarked.

He had no words, still baffled on how some teen was able to dominate over him. "How did you-?"

"She wouldn't send someone inexperienced out here, would she? I have four years of combat training, courtesy of Lania ever since she took me under her wing. Additionally made sure to read up a bit on reconnaissance. Not that it's any of your business." The teen took her foot off his body and put away her weapon. " _And_ yes, you did just get bested by a teenage girl, _I'm very sure_ you need time to progress that, Mr. Vorselon."

"You like to deceive people with your meek appearance, don't you?"

Murka snorted from the comment. That was enough of an answer for him. "It's a good thing this conversation is being recorded and streamed straight to Neoprine headquarters. It comes in handy for when subordinates refuse to do as they are told."

Vorselon gave nothing but a growl in response.

"Anyways, I'm off. I promised her that I would return to HQ after I found you. I'm sure Lania will get a kick out the fact I kicked her boyfriend's ass though. You are dating after all, right?"

The blaarg girl gave a small wave as she walked off and he got back up on his feet. Vorselon crossed his arms.

"Little brat…"

"Um, ex-excuse me, sir?"

"What _is_ it?!" He yelled at the man who spoke to him, still sour he got defeated by a teen.

The restaurant employee was shaking nervously as he noted, "W-well, um, you did leave a bit of a hole there."

"Your point?!"

"W-well, we may not have the money to fix it and the manager suggested you pay for it."

Vorselon snarled. "And _how_ much money are we speaking of?"

The man handed him a piece of paper with an estimate on it. Vorselon's eye almost burst right out of his head.

" _FIFTY THOUSAND BOLTS!?"_

"It is a very high tech table, sir."

"… _GAAAAAAH!"_ The scream was so loud that Murka could hear it. She smiled to herself, and walked away…

 **-End Chapter Five-**


	7. Chapter Six: Goodbyes and a New Beginnin

**-Chapter Six, Goodbyes and a New Beginning-**

A few days had passed since they arrived in this dimension. The early morning sun was still climbing over the horizon.

Every day, the crew would wake up before dawn to begin work. From salvaging parts to building the damn thing; it wasn't an easy task. Especially when their surroundings' technological ineptitude limiting their supply. Surprisingly though, Nefarious voluntarily chipped in. He was still sour over the fact he was stuck with a bunch of 'squishies,' let alone ones he hated; but likely their progress would have been slower without him. If it meant getting home faster, he was willing to put his prejudice aside. He made himself flexible when he tried taking over The Great Clock after all. If it hadn't killed him then he would survive bending his morals again.

Jens however, couldn't do much other than get them the parts and tools they fact left her frustrated, and yet she tried to enjoy the fascination the crazy circumstances caused her.

I mean, It's not like everyday that you have inter-dimensional beings sitting at your kitchen table working on some do-dad that's suppose to help them return home. That and she was rapped by Ratchet's stories about their home and their various adventures. It was one thing she couldn't keep her mind off of the whole time...

* * *

Jens was cooking breakfast with Clank, who volunteered to lend a hand. She even handed him over an oversize apron and chef hat. "How do y'all like your eggs?"

Ratchet turned over to them as he sat at the table with Talwyn. "You know you don't need to go out of your way Jens to-"

"Hey, I love to cook! Besides," She gave a hard tap on one of the eggs before breaking the shell as the yolk fell into the scorching pan, "You've been workin' your butts off the last few days. Think you could use a nice meal before you head off…"

"I'm just saying you did more than enough for us."

"I know, but it's my treat."

The lombax shook his head as he returned back to work.

Nefarious rested on the couch as he tuned into Ratchet's and Talwyn's conversation. Talwyn was reading off of a list as Ratchet confirmed it…

"Harmonic Stabilizers..."

"Check!"

"Ion capacitors?"

"Check!"

"1 1/4 Centicubit Hexagonal Washer?"

"Erm... uh..." Ratchet looked inside the machine. "I don't think it's in there. Where is it?" He looked under, around and behind him.

"Er, Ratchet?" said Talwyn

"What?"

She simply pointed to Ratchet's tail. There it was, hanging off of it. "Heheh, whoops. Must have put it there so I'd remember where it was." The Lombax then put the washer inside, gave it a few turns with his wrench, and closed the hatch in the back.

"That went well, didn't it?" He put the pocket Dimensionator on the counter, along with his wrench before turning over to Talwyn. "All the pieces are installed. Well, all the pieces we can get anyway."

"Breakfast is ready!" Jens shouted across the room as she carried two plates in her hands while Clank held another. She laid Ratchet's and Talwyn's plates on the table as she sat right beside them and Clank handed her the last one. "So you finished it?"

"Yup. Well, for the most part anyways."

"What do you mean for the _most_ part?" Nefarious got up and walked over, "I looked over the whole draft, we have _all_ the parts!"

"We don't have a ship."

"A _ship_?" He spun around to look for the schematic and he picked it up to read over it. "Why would we need a ship!?"

"To get home…"

Nefarious peeked through the paper. " _Wasn't_ the point of building this device to return home..?"

"Yeah. But the device on its own won't get us very far."

Nefarious crossed his arms as he raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, the Dimensionator alone can only take one or two people with it, and we can't make another wormhole once we are back home for the others to pass through, but-"

"Meaning?" Nefarious interrupted.

"I'm about to get to that. But, the device is able to connect and work with transportation, such as cars, ships and the like-"

"Meaning?"

" _Meaning_ if I could install it into Aphelion, I can hopefully use a ship as a loophole and travel with as many people as can fit in one. That way when I come back here I can pick you up."

"With the key word being 'hopefully'. What if this fails?"

"Then you'll most likely be stuck here. Though," Ratchet gave a blunt tone, "That doesn't sound like such a bad idea. Saves us some stress."

"Hey! We had a deal! We help each other all get home and then go our own ways!"

Ratchet sighed. "I was just joking Nefarious, you can calm your gears…"

"If I am being left behind then I refuse to be here alone. I want some kind of a guarantee that you'll come back." He jabbed a finger at Talwyn and insisted, "She stays with me. I'm guessing you won't risk leaving your girlfriend behind."

Ratchet let out a frustrated huff, " _She's_ not my girlfriend. And a deal's a deal. I swear we'll-"

"I'll stay behind with him," Talwyn piped up.

"...Oh?" Ratchet blinked at the Markazian, surprised she would volunteer to be collateral. "You sure Tal?"

"He's right, he has no reason to believe we'll come back for him if we just leave him behind. Just make sure the Dimensionator works. Don't want to be stuck with him forever."

"He may drive you nuts," Ratchet quipped.

"He definitely will."

" _I'm_ standing right here!"

Jens listened to the conversation before butting in, her mouth still full of food. "Couldn' you go one at a time and just hold hands or somthin'?"

"That could work too, but I doubt he would want to hold my hand." He tilted his head to Nefarious.

"What?" She turned to the doctor, "Are you scared of the 'squishie' germs?" Jens wiggled her fingers directly in his face as he took a step back and rolled his eyes.

"We also need to consider limiting the amount of wormholes we create within the short time span," Clank chirped, "We do not want to risk causing a tear within reality."

"Are you sure it'll work, Ratchet?" Talwyn replied, worried, "There's a chance this could go wrong in the end..."

"Trust me, Tal, we're going to get home in one piece. Clank, I'm going to need your help."

"Yes Ratchet, I am here to assist." Clank replied.

"Good, we'll leave soon." Ratchet then looked over to Jens. "Thanks for all the help, we appreciate it."

"Oh," She scratched the back of her head. "My pleasure. It's been a ride, just wish it lasted longer. _I mean,_ no, I want you guys to return home and all, but-"

"You'll miss us?"

Jens gave a snort. "Maybe just a little. Rarely do I get company and all."

"We won't forget everything you did for us Jens," The lombax put his hand on her shoulder to assure her, "You've been a great friend, but you know we can't stay."

She exhaled before speaking. "I know, I know. I won't forget you guys neither. Seein' as, it's hard to forget someone who tried to kill you," she joked as she pointed over to Nefarious. He didn't bother to respond.

There was a small smile from that comment as Ratchet let go of her. "Anyways we should get ready."

"What! You ain't gonna finish your food? I'm insulted."

"...ok, _after_ we finish breakfast then…"

* * *

Ratchet clipped the Dimensionator to his belt as the four grabbed everything they needed.

"Everyone ready?"

The group followed the Lombax out the door as Jens watched them leave. She kept her gaze fixated on them until they were no longer visible over the horizon.

The girl turned and looked around her tiny home. It felt too big now that it was so empty. She sighed. "Get home safe, alright…"

* * *

The four walked to the beach where both Ratchet and Nefarious first arrived. It was the best place to conduct this experiment. It was quiet and no one was around. They didn't want anyone to suspect anything more out of the ordinary than what they already had.

"You know," the Lombax spoke as they strolled down the path, "I'm kinda disappointed we didn't bump into Vorselon. He could have given us some answers. At least I'd hope."

Nefarious just rolled his eyes. "You know once you get him to start talking, you'll never get him to shut up."

Ratchet snorted. "Not wrong about that. But, if it's our only lead…"

" _Ahem_ ," Clank butted in, still on Ratchet's back. "I think we have company."

"Who, Vorselon?!" Ratchet shouted out; alarmed.

"More like a brat," The mad robot exclaimed.

There was Jens; trying to catch her breath after sprinting as fast as she could. Right beside her was a suitcase that she had carried along with her. "Man, I'm glad I caught up with you guys…"

The group just stared at her, confused. "Jens, what are you doing here?" Ratchet asked.

"Well," she huffed between her words, "After all the time we spent together and hearin' the stories you told about your home. I figured I'd ask, if I could, uh…"

The lombax raised an eyebrow. "Ask what?"

"Well, I, erm…"

" _Jens?_ "

The girl tried to compose herself. "Well," She took a nervous breath in before finishing, "I wanted to ask if I can come along."

"What?" Ratchet was still trying to process her request. "I...don't think that's a good idea Jens."

"What? Why not?"

" _Pff_ , besides the obvious?" Nefarious butted in.

"I didn' ask you, gear head!" Jens turned back to Ratchet, "Just hearin' everythin' about your home. The technology, your adventures; I want to see it all for myself!"

"I understand Jens, but it's too risky to-"

"But with everythin' that happened," She didn't let the lombax even finish his words as she tried to convince him, "it's obvious you could use the extra hands! I want to help! Besides, it's borin' here!"

Talwyn grew frustrated of silently listening to Jens's protests. "So you just want to come with us because it sounds like a free vacation? We have a threat to handle, Jens! This isn't some game!" She turned over to the lombax and was surprised to see a contemplative look on his face. "Please tell me you aren't considering this, Ratchet! Yes, I admit she's been helpful, but if she came with us she'd be a liability. We don't have half a clue of what's going on with this empire thing. And what if she can't return home, or she gets herself killed? We don't even know if this device is going to work to begin with..."

"Tal, I'm well aware of the risk. And I didn't agree to anything yet."

"But I promise to behave myself! Please let me come with you for a bit!" Jens looked like she was about to get on her knees to beg. "Please, please, please, _pretty_ please…"

Ratchet just sighed. "Tal's right though. It's a huge risk and if this is as big of a threat as it sounds then you can get seriously hurt. I'm sorry, we have to say no…"

"But-"

"Jens, I get it. You want to help, but we can't just take you home with us."

As disappointed as she was she wasn't going to argue. "I...I understand." Jens turned around and started to walk the other way. "Good luck Ratchet."

They watched her walk off. Ratchet let out a sigh. "C'mon. Let's get going…"

* * *

Ratchet unclipped the Dimensionator off his belt with Clank already on his back. The lombax took a long breath in. "Well, here goes nothing…" He raised the device up above his head and commanded, "Dimensionator, find Torren IV!"

After the order was given, light shimmered around them as the Dimensionator activated as they covered their eyes from the glow it greeted them. It wasn't long until a bright flash took Talwyn and Nefarious by surprise. Just a blink of an eye later, Ratchet and Clank were gone.

Now there was nothing Talwyn or Nefarious could do but hope they were able to get back...

* * *

 _ **ZAP!**_

Ratchet glanced around the area. Seeing they had arrived back on Torren IV, he put on a small smile. "Well, looks like we made it home in one piece."

Clank got off his back, as the pair started to look around for Aphelion. "And it is good to be here."

"Ratchet? Where have you been?" Aphelion flew right out of the scrap pile she was pretending to be lifeless in. "You were gone for the whole week..."

"It's a long story; I'll talk it over with you as I install something." Ratchet hopped into the driver's seat, as Aphelion ranted.

"Seriously," She continued as if she was a mother scolding her child, "You had me extremely worried, I thought something terrible happened to you! You took so long that I started to act as trash so that I would not risk being stolen! Do you know that crime is rampant on Torren IV?!"

"Aphelion, it isn't crime, it's taking what someone doesn't want. That's why it's called junk."

"Hmph! Well, I am not junk and to think you-!"

"I know you aren't Aphelion. You've been more than just a ship to me the last few years. I'd still be stuck on Fastoon if it weren't for you." The Lombax regained his focus. "Ok, now how could I do this?"

"Do what?" asked Aphelion.

Ratchet inserted the device into the Infobot slot, suspenseful to see whether she could read it or not. "Can you run this program?"

"Yes, I can, but… I am confused. What is with this information about dimensional travel that it's trying to download?"

"Well…" Ratchet explained it to her as she started to download the software…

* * *

Nefarious stomped his foot impatiently. "You think they got back alright?"

"I don't know," Talwyn answered, "Hopefully they did."

"Well they better hurry up! The sooner we all return home, the quicker we can return back to our lives."

"You think Ratchet is just going to let you go? You're a wanted criminal, remember?"

"Oh, you can try to capture and arrest me, if you have a death wish."

Talwyn didn't bother to reply to his remark. All she gave was a cheeky smile before turning around to stare at the bright cloudless sky. However, her focus changed as a feeling of dread went down her spine. She swore she heard a soft yet deeply vile laugh from behind her. And it sure didn't sound like the doctor. "Nefarious did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Nefarious raised an eyebrow…

The two quickly scanned their surroundings and not a moment later, a projectile flew their way. It came so fast that they couldn't leap out of the way before it made impact, taking both of them up a foot in the air before landing right back on the sand. Nefarious shook his head trying to get back to his senses as he looked over to Talwyn. "You didn't break anything did you? I _don't_ need to hear that rodent blaming me if you went and snapped one of your weak organic bones."

" _Pff_ , nice of you to care."

Talwyn glared in the direction the missile came from. She reached for her blaster from her holster and insisted, "Come on, we have to fend them off before Ratchet and Clank come back."

Nefarious extended his hands, dark energy bursting from his palms. "Sure, sounds like a fun way to pass the time..."

* * *

"So that was what happened the last few days," Ratchet finished his story as he took out his Contstructo Bomb Glove and Plasma Slayer from Aphelion's storage compartments in her nose while she was still trying to wrap her head around the new information. Though with what happened with Tachyon, it wasn't so far fetched.

"And where are the others?"

"They're still in the other dimension." The lombax then turned over to Clank. "How far are we in the download?"

"Eighty-eight point five percent."

"But, why did you leave them there?" Aphelion questioned Ratchet's logic.

"Well," He hopped back into the cockpit as he watched the percentage on the screen, "That's where you come in. This portable Dimensionator can only transport two people at a time. But with you as a vessel, it would technically only count as one, right?"

"I see. Clever thinking!"

"Ninety-five point eight percent," The little robot then looked up, "Are you sure this will work?"

"I'm sure Clank. If not, I don't know what else to do…"

"Download complete!" Aphelion voice started to sound a bit anxious. "Hopefully this won't fry my systems. We're taking a risk here to begin with..."

"Don't worry, Aphelion, we'll be fine!" Ratchet swiped his hand in the air, and one of his fingers brushed the screen, causing the menu displayed on it to change. "Hey, I didn't know this was a touch screen!" he exclaimed, pressing on some menu items.

"It has always been part of my specs but you never showed any need to use it. Most of the time the holoscreen was only used for displaying coordinates or watching Behind the Hero and RoboChef."

"RoboChef?" Ratchet said, knowing he didn't watch that boring show. "Clank…?" He turned to the robot with a suspicious look.

"What?" was the only reply Clank gave him.

"The touch functionality has not been used for a long time," Aphelion continued. "Since my last owner that is…"

"Do you remember who your last owner was?"

"I am sorry, but that data seems to have been wiped from my memory banks. The initial crash, and nearly two decades sitting out in the open on a dusty desert planet, has completely erased the majority of my former knowledge. Some days I am surprised I can remember to pump oxygen into the cockpit while we are in space!"

His ears drooped down, as neither the answer nor the comment afterwards made him feel any better about his situation of being the last Lombax in the universe. While he knew he wasn't going to get the most positive response, he still hoped for some knowledge, even just a little bit. Ratchet wanted to know more about his race, but from Aphelion, Tachyon, Alister, and the IRIS Supercomputer, all he had were fragments and pieces.

Moving to the task at hand, the Lombax shook his head and regained focus. "All right, prepare for take off!"

"Affirmative!"

Ratchet looked down over to Clank, with a big smile. "Hang on Clank, I have a feeling this is going to be a bumpy ride!"

The engines roared from the flames shooting out of her thrusters as Aphelion hovered off the ground. Quickly after, she shot right out into the sky until a loud _zap_ signaled the emergence of a wormhole. Aphelion flew through it, and the wormhole snapped shut with a bang. The only thing left behind were a pair of fire trails floating in the sky, twirling as their own momentum tossed them about...

* * *

 _ **ZAP!**_

Aphelion slowed down as they arrived at the beach. She gracefully flew down on the sand, with Ratchet and Clank quickly jumping out. "Ok guys, we're bac-"

Ratchet's eyes widened from the sight of Talwyn and Nefarious tied up by an electric barrier, struggling to get out. The girl spotted the lombax. "Ratchet!"

"Oh great, look who's _back_. Took you long eno-" Nefarious's teeth ground together as he was zapped by Vorselon from where he stood nearby.

"I thought I told you to stay silent!" Just from his tone, it was easy to say that he wasn't in the best of moods. Swiftly focusing his eye in the other direction, his bitter mug cracked a smile from the sight of the Lombax. " _Ah_ , Ratchet. I thought you would never come. I was growing impatient. I thought I would have to destroy your friends to pass the time..."

"I'm not his frie-!"

Shocked again, Nefarious' eyes twitched from the anger and pain inside of him.

"Silence, or I _will_ kill you!"

Ratchet growled, balling both of his hands into tight fists, not the least bit pleased that they had to bump into the smug bastard.

His opponent, on the other hand, enjoyed watching the fury in his eyes. The angrier he was, the more fun the fight would be.

"Well, well, how is my little _friend_ doing?" Vorselon slithered closer to both the Lombax and Clank. The cheer in his voice didn't make the heroes feel any easier. His mechanical body still wasn't repaired, but there was no doubt he was capable of putting up a fair fight.

Besides, he didn't want to disappoint his client...

"We were fine until you showed up…" Ratchet raised his wrench, just in case the enemy would strike. And knowing Vorselon, he would, and viciously.

Though this surprise encounter finally gave Ratchet an opportunity to ask questions. Hopefully the Terraklon wouldn't annoy them to death...

"What are you here for?"

"I'm here to-"

"No wait, don't tell me!" The Lombax interrupted sarcastically, "You're here because that Laynie person sent you, right? You seem to love taking orders from her."

"Why you little!" Vorselon snarled. " _Nobody_ pronounces my little Lania's name wrong!"

" _Little_ Lania? Aww, that's so cute!" Ratchet put on a puppy dog face in mockery.

"Don't test me Lombax! It was an order from Lania to kill every single one of you, but I was going to be generous today and let _them_ live." He jabbed a finger at Talwyn and Nefarious, "And I _assure_ you, keep throwing around those insults, and you'll _see_ how quickly I can change my mind."

"Ratchet, please shut him up already!" Nefarious shouted out in irritation, "Seriously, why did you have to get him talking to begin-"

Vorselon turned around with a dark glare as he boosted up energy from his palm. Nefarious was helpless to do anything but glare at it nervously.

" _On second thought_ , you two have fun catching up! Don't mind me!"

"So Vorselon, Why are you working for this 'Lania' person anyway?" Ratchet asked

"Isn't it obvious? Look at my profession, I'm a _mercenary_! I take orders from the highest bidder!"

"So you're a greedy snob who only cares about how many bolts he's getting bribed with? Not exactly a flattering self-descriptor."

"It's not just about the pay, _you_ filthy rat! It's also about making Empress Lania happy!" Vorselon then put his hands on his chest as half of his tentacles popped up in the air as if he just came out of a romance novel front cover. "Oh, my evil Terraklon heart starts beating ever so fast every time I'm with her…"

It took a second or two for Ratchet to process, and it took far less for him to finally burst out laughing. "That's just _ridiculous_!" His words were muffled from all of the cackling he was doing.

"Not to mention anatomically impossible." Clank followed.

Vorselon just glared at the Lombax as his eye twitched with tranquil fury. He grasped his fist to hold back his anger despite it charging up.

Ratchet's laughter calmed as he then looked up at the Terraklon. "I never knew you were the romantic type, Vorselon!"

"Of course I'm romantic! You think us Terraklons are all about killing and torture?!"

"Well, yeah."

"Well not _this_ Terraklon!" He pointed to himself in pride.

All three of them turned around to Nefarious who was now cracking up manically. "Oh, _that's_ just rich. The fact that whatever puny remains left of you landed a catch," He would have jumped around like an idiot if he wasn't tied down at the moment as he looked over to Talwyn who just rolled her eyes, "Man, this Lania must have been _really_ desperate to end up with-"

It wasn't until another zap from Vorselon's hands rang out that he finally shut up and remained quiet. "... _Doctor_ , if _you_ mind?" He was snarling through his teeth as he quivered in annoyance (and possibly embarrassment). It didn't take too long for him to get himself back together and regain his focus.

Ratchet just put his hand on his forehead. "Yeah, well, if you don't mind, can you let go of them please? Trust me when I say no one is really interested in your love life. If you could lay off of that topic too, I think we'd all appreciate it."

"You must think I'm a fool to acknowledge that kind of request."

"Which one?"

The Terraklon snarled as he fired up his hand quickly throwing an attack at Ratchet.

"Whoa!" Ratchet rolled out of the way before it could touch him only for the tip of his ear to get scorched, causing him to yell out in pain. "Damn it!" It stung, badly, but it would take more than a burn to bring him down.

Now furious, The lombax slowly got up and looked over to his robot companion. "Clank, go help out the others, I'll distract the goldfish…"

Clank nodded as he went over to the two trapped.

"Funny seeing you cry over a little scratch, Lombax," Vorselon mocked his foe, "I thought you would be used to the pain by now?"

Ratchet raised his wrench higher, spreading his legs far apart. "Can it Vorselon, let's just get this over with."

An electric pulse started raging from both of the mercenary's hands as he held a terrifying grin on his mug, playing with the power like a slinky. "I never thought you would ask!" He fired a bunch of bombs right at Ratchet as he got out of the way before they hit him. A second later though, they went off; emitting a shockwave

The impact made Ratchet fall to the ground as he landed face down into the sand. He spat out the dirt from his mouth as he saw the pistol Jens had given him a few days ago fall from his pants pockets. As primitive as it was, it was his only weapon. He quickly grabbed it and started to fire at his foe hoping it would at least leave a dent only for Vorselon to already have his holo-shield up and ready before the shots could hit him. They bounced off it and onto the sand. The Terraklon watched the bullets land beside him as he smiled. "I guess that last battle didn't teach you anything…"

Yeah, not the best choice of weapons to use...

Meanwhile, Clank was still trying to figure out how to free his friends from the barrier. "Please give me a second or two." The little robot tried to see if he could break through it by normal means but just touching it with his fingers gave him quite the shock. "Ow."

After shaking his hand a bit from the pain, Clank rubbed his chin in thought. "Hmm, seems this will be trickier than I originally thought."

Ratchet suddenly remembered he brought his Constructo-Bomb Glove with him when they arrived from Torren IV. Hopefully more powerful artillery would do the trick. With a press of a button, a grenade popped into his palm. "Taste this, fish tank!"

The lombax engaged his hoverboots charging right at Vorselon; tossing out several bombs as he circled around him. The Terraklon tried slithering out of the way of each attack. An impact of one of the bombs left him to fall to the ground.

"Yes!" Ratchet shouted out, happy that he was at least able to get one shot to bring his foe down. He shut off his hoverboots but before he came to a stop; a bolt struck him and had him flying into a boulder.

He rubbed the back of his pounding head and once Ratchet was able to regain his surroundings, he quickly took notice that Vorselon was already back on his 'feet' as he was coming closer and closer to him. A chilling grin went across his face as he boosted more energy from his hands

Ratchet tried to let another bomb out of his glove, but he was out of ammo. "Great." Still, he wasn't going to give up just yet.

The lombax got right back up. Only a foot away from him, Ratchet took out his wrench and gave Vorselon a good whack on his tank and a trail of the ectowater dripped down as the Terraklon growled in frustration.

He looked at the Lombax as he held a hand over the crack, trying to stop the flow. " _You dare…."_

The only thing Ratchet could do was smile with satisfaction. Though, that didn't last for long as Vorselon slammed his hand right to the ground letting loose another shock wave which took Ratchet with it once again.

Vorselon remained in the same spot with his hand covering the small hole.

Ratchet looked back over to Clank. "Um, Clank? How much longer…?" His stomach dropped. His foe's tank stopped leaking enough for him to let go of it and focus back on the Lombax.

"Clank?!" Ratchet called out.

Clank turned over to Ratchet as he took out his Geolaser. "I am still in the progress of releasing them."

"Well, I don't know how much longer I can keep this up for…" The Lombax quickly ran back over to Vorselon and gave another swing of his wrench. The foe got a hold of it however and swung it over his head with Ratchet still holding on. " _Aah_!" He landed flat on the ground. "Crap…"

Clank then spotted the hatch that was holding the barrier together. "Do not move." He fired up his laser and started to cut through the metal as Nefarious and Talwyn watched.

Ratchet's back was now throbbing and he felt dizzy. He looked up, and saw Vorselon staring right down at him with a smirk. He was about to slam his hand back onto the ground. Ratchet's opened his eyes wide in shock.

He rolled out of the way before the impact could hit him. "Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap…" Ratchet quickly got up running trying to find a viable spot. Taking out his pistol once more, he fired rapidly until it ran out of bullets and all he was left with was a paper weight.

"Any last words rat?" Vorselon's hands powered up again.

"Um, yeah, here's one," Ratchet then threw the gun at Vorselon's suit. Which only succeeded in bouncing off of him and spraying sand on his tentacles once it hit the ground. He just stood there baffled.

"...Did you _seriously_ think that was going to stop me?"

The lombax offered him a cheeky grin, which only confused the Terraklon even more. "No, but I know this will. Nefarious?!"

"Stand back, Lombax!" Nefarious shouted from behind them with his jet boots lifting him off the ground as he fired up his attack. "Let's finish this once and for all!"

Ratchet leapt out of the way. Vorselon was about to follow, but was stopped dead in his tracks by dark matter raining from above. Nefarious laughed as if he was a child given a new toy and kept firing until he thought it was enough to take him down.

After getting the impression that he was taken care of; the mad robot hovered back to the ground and deactivated his jet boots as he rubbed his hands together. "He was always a pain in the ass. _Anyways_ , now that he's taken care of, can we please-"

"Um, Nefarious?" Talwyn interrupted as she pointed at the smoke left behind.

"What?"

Nefarious saw a silhouette though the dusk cloud. It was only once the smoke cleared did he spot Vorselon still standing with a shield covering his whole body. The scientists' eyes just widened from the realization that his attack didn't even leave a single dent.

"How are you _still alive_?! Seriously, you should have been a pile of-"

Vorselon responded with nothing but launching a powerful shock in Nefarious's direction. This flung the robot far from his opponent. The Terraklon shut down his force field as he flicked the dust off of his suit like he was nothing more than a mild inconvenience. "Obnoxious piece of tin..."

Ratchet could see the fury his foe had just by staring at him straight in the eye. Vorselon had enough.

Once more, electricity roared from his hands and he slammed them down, letting out a shockwave directed toward Clank and Talwyn. The sand underneath them shifted violently preventing them from keeping themselves balanced.

"Clank!" Without warning, another assault came at Ratchet but this time he didn't have time to dodge as the impact caused him to be lifted off the ground and fly across the beach once again, only to have himself forcefully hit the ground a few times before slamming into another rock.

Before he could even get up, he was grabbed by the neck by Vorselon as he struggled to escape from his grasp. Ratchet couldn't get it out of his mind that this was going to be the end. He tried to reach for his wrench only for the bastard to kick it out of the way with his tentacles.

"How does it feel, Lombax, to finally face defeat?" The sadistic tone Vorselon held didn't help Ratchet feel any less afraid causing his tail to quiver in fear. "I had to so many times because of you, and I didn't like it one bit. But now, _I_ finally will emerge _victorious_."

"Ratchet!" Talwyn ran over to them in hope to stop the Terraklon, but he took notice before she could even get close enough. A trail of electricity flew at her and pushed her aside.

"Talwyn!" Ratchet shouted her name as he tried to fight back. "Let go of me, you scum!"

"If you know what's good for you, you better _stay back_!" Vorselon warned Talwyn, "Unless you want to end up like your 'boyfriend' here…" He then returned back to the Lombax as a vicious smile stretched across his face. "What's _wrong,_ Ratchet? Can't stand _losing_ ," His grip on the Lombax's throat tightened and Ratchet let out a strangled cry, "Or is the pain simply _unbearable_ …?"

Nefarious rubbed his dome as his right eye wobbled around in its socket. He shook his head to return to his senses and saw the fish had hold of Ratchet. And that made him furious…

"…Don't worry though," Vorselon sneered, "It will be all over very short- GAH!" The Terraklon was caught off guard and pushed out of the way. Ratchet landed safely on the sand, rubbing his neck as he tried to regain his breath. As he looked straight ahead he saw Nefarious steps apart from him as the power from his hands died down.

Ratchet was baffled. Did Nefarious…just save him? No, that was practically impossible. This was _Nefarious_ ; he wouldn't be caught _dead_ saving someone, let alone an organic life form. But that was the least of his worries…

"Ratchet," Talwyn still sounded distressed as she ran up to him with Clank, "Are you alright?!"

"Yeah, I think I'm fine," He sighed in relief before facing Nefarious. "Nefarious, you saved me…"

"Yeah, so?" Nefarious crossed his arms and struggled at the comment.

"I don't know, just seems...out of character, I guess?"

He rolled his eyes. "Don't push it; I only saved your Squishie behind because you're my only ticket home! Otherwise, I would have let Cyclops over there have his fun."

Nefarious turned his back to the lombax. Deep down in his circuitry, he knew he didn't need to save Ratchet. He could have easily let Vorselon kill the rat and stolen his ship, leaving the other two behind to rot, or worse if that moron stuck around. It wasn't out of the realm of possibility for him. He'd committed crueler acts before. Many, in fact.

But he didn't. Perhaps the last few days of begrudging cooperation were enough reason to let his mortal enemy live another day. As much as he hated to admit it; he would have been lost without him. At least now he was sure he was no longer indebted to him.

That, and the Squishy's death would be _his_ reward, and he would not allow it to be stolen by some fish...

Ratchet picked up his wrench and looked over his saviour in contemplation. The Lombax wasn't sure if it was right to thank Nefarious or not. He was sure the doctor had acted out of some ulterior motive. He couldn't care less about an organic life, especially not his. But still, just to be nice…

"Well, regardless of the reason; thanks."

Though, being _nice_ to someone you hate didn't leave a good aftertaste...

Vorselon slowly got up. The robot left a good dent in his body from that attack. All he could think about was what he was about to do to him to make him pay...

"Yeah, yeah, let's not harp on this. It really isn't a big de-"

Nefarious screeched as Vorselon ran into him and pushed him onto a boulder. " _I've_ had _enough_ of _this_!" He forcefully shoved his fist into Nefarious' chest and let out a powerful shock as his victim screamed in pain.

Vorselon took his fist out of the hole he had formed and stared angrily into the robot's eyes.

A huge opening within his chest was left as the wires hung out and his gears were left exposed. Sparks crackled as he glared up at his foe. Small coughs and dizziness overtook him as his eyes became dim, and he was feeling weaker and weaker by the second with every 'breath.'

A pleased expression was on the Terraklon's face after seeing the results. Considering all Nefarious put him though when he'd worked for him and the audacity of him interfering with his current job, he thought it was a rightful 'punishment.' And, boy, did he _revel_ in every second of it...

"That's what happens when you mess with _Lord Vorselon!_ Perhaps next time you'll think twice, _doctor_!" A dark laugh followed as he boosted up his hand for another blow. "If I'll allow there _to be_ a next time!"

 _ **BOOM!**_

" _Ah!"_ Vorsleon's tank flew right up into the air from an assault from behind.

His suit blew up on him before he could give the final blow. Nefarious' sight was still blurry, but he could easily make out Ratchet in the background holding up his Plasma Slayer. Smoke was still rising up in the air from its last use.

"Nice shot," Talwyn remarked.

" _Argh_!" Ratchet, Clank and Talwyn turned around from hearing the frustration coming from Vorselon, with his tank buried deep within the sand. " _You_ rotten rodent! That was just a lucky shot! No one can defeat Lord Vorselon! _No one_! You hear me!?"

Ratchet could only roll his eyes before he walked over to him.

"Come back here and-" His eye looked up after noticing a shadow looming over him, as his ears lowered down and his pupil widened in fear. "Oh…"

The Lombax kicked him with his left foot as hard as he could with the Terraklon yelling as he sailed through the air.

" _Wretched_ space rat!" Vorselon's voice became quieter the farther he went.

Talwyn stood next to Ratchet as he watched the enemy take off. "Well, at least that problem is taken care of."

"Trust me; this won't be the last we see of him. I know from experience." Ratchet turned around and saw Nefarious trying to get up, holding his chest. However, the robot fell right back down to his knees…

"C'mon," Ratchet started to walk over to Aphelion, not looking back, "Let's go."

As the other two followed him, Clank couldn't help but feel bad for the doctor. Leaving him behind would be waiting for death to take him. The small robot stopped in his tracks.

"Ratchet?"

The lombax stopped and turned around. "Yeah pal?"

"As eager as we all are to return home, I do not believe it is right to leave Nefarious behind."

One of Ratchet's ears drooped down with the other rose in confusion. "Um, what now?"

"He is in critical condition and his life is in danger. If he does not get the maintenance required he will die."

"And your point?"

"Nefarious saved your life, Ratchet. I think it would be the noble thing to return the favor."

"Wait what?" Was he hearing this right? Did Clank just say that they should help Nefarious? "You do realise this _is_ Nefarious we're talking about here, right? Our _enemy_?"

" _And_ the fact he kidnapped you once and tried to destroy the space-time continuum," Talwyn added. "Besides, it's not like he'd be grateful if we did save his life."

"I am well aware of his crimes, Talwyn, but without Nefarious' help we may have never been able to build the device to begin with. He was just as much part of the team as you or I. It is unfair to use the machinery he helped build to leave him stranded here." Clank turned back to Ratchet, "I do not see the harm in putting our hatred behind us once more."

"Clank, even if he helped us; he's still a threat. You can't seriously expect him to change his ways right after he recovers."

"Lea-leave me here," Nefarious insisted as he wheezed in between words, "I refuse to be indebted to you squishies again!"

"See," Ratchet retorted to Clank. "He wants us to leave him here. C'mon guys, we're wasting time with this…"

"Ratchet!"

" _Clank_? C'mon."

The little robot didn't move from his spot. He then gave Ratchet a glare as he put his hands on his hips.

" _Clank_ , don't look at me like that..."

Clank just tilted his head in response, unwilling to back down.

" _Oh c'mon_! Are you _serious_?!" Of course, Ratchet wasn't immune to his insistence. And the more he looked into his eyes, the harder it was to say no. Still...

Ratchet just sighed as he shook his head. "Sometimes, I think I'm way too forgiving. Fine, but I won't like it. Tal, help me out would you?"

Talwyn seemed baffled but she didn't continue the debate. "...Of course…"

They both walked up to Nefarious and put his arms around their shoulders only for him to rebutt in anger. "You _came back_?! What's _wrong_ with you?! I'm not gonna accept any help from a Squishie like _you_!"

"Just for once, try to ignore the whole arch-nemesis deal…"

They carried the mad robot over to Aphelion. Clank followed and they all entered the ship.

"Oh my," Aphelion replied after 'seeing' the sight of the four cramped up in just a small space. "Are you conformable back there?" She asked humorously.

"…Aphelion, just get us home…"

"Right away, Ratchet!" Her thrusters fired up, pushing her above the sand as the passengers moaned in pain.

"It is quite stuffy in here, is it not?" Clank remarked.

"Just be lucky Qwark isn't with -Gah! Nefarious, your _foot_ is going up my-"

"Shut it Lombax, I don't want to hear anything for the remainder of the ride…"

"This is going to be a fun trip home." Talwyn faced-palmed as Clank let out a cheesy chuckle.

Aphelion zoomed right into the sky and _zapped_ into a wormhole once more, leaving this dimension and heading back to their own…

* * *

"Aaaaah! Ow!" Vorselon bounced into and out of the sand as he finally hit the ground _,_ shouting out in pain as his head slammed into his tank with every bump. It finally came to a halt and stood up on it's bottom. He pouted, unamused, and sighed. "Filthy rat…"

There was then a loud blast and behind him a portal appeared. Coming out were two guards followed by a woman with blue skin and tentacles cascading from her head like hair. She glanced down at him with her golden eyes as she crossed her arms.

The Terraklon greeted her with a cheesy grin as he looked up. "Hi honey!"

Lania just rolled her eyes. "Well, this is a familiar sight. Let me guess; you _didn't_ kill them?"

"Well, you see, I, well," He couldn't think of a single excuse. "Erm, no."

She sighed. "We'll discuss this later, Flint. Though if you don't mind me asking, why are you without your suit?"

"It, um, blew up."

"Ugh." Lania rubbed her temple in frustration. She then picked him up and carried him back with her. She didn't say anything more. As calm as she was now; Vorselon knew that it wasn't going to last once they returned to HQ. Far from it…

* * *

 _ **ZAP!**_

The gang arrived home at the Apogee Space Station. Aphelion entered the small docking bay, parking right next to Cronk's ship. As she came to a complete stop, Ratchet jumped out and Talwyn helped him get Nefarious out of the ship. They were greeted by Cronk, Zephyr and Qwark with worried, yet somewhat grateful looks on their faces…

"Miss Apogee," Zephyr said to Talwyn as he walked in, "Where have ya been the last few days? We were worried…"

"Well, since you're all back safe and sound, we can-" Before Qwark could even finish his own sentence, he took sight of Nefarious. He jumped up into the air screaming and landed into Cronk's arms. "Gah, what's he doing here?!"

"Get off of me, you darn fool!" Cronk fell right to the floor from Qwark's weight. The superhero then looked right down at him as he sat on the decrepit robot.

"Erm, um sorry."

Ratchet shook his head. "Let's just say it's a long story, Qwark. We'll explain it all later. Right now though, Nefarious needs our help."

Cronk and Zephyr took Nefarious out of their hands and walked him away to get him patched up, leaving the other four alone. The lombax sighed.

"Let's hope we don't regret this…"

His ears started to twitch from the sound of _thumps_ coming from Aphelion's trunk. Ratchet took the defensive and raised his wrench high, preparing for whatever was hiding in there. Then a moment later…

Jens popped out and scanned her surroundings. "Man, that was one bumpy ride." She then saw the others. "Oh, hey y'all," the girl cheerfully waved.

" _Jens…!?"_

 **-End of Chapter Six-**

 **A/N: So happy I got the first act finished. It was a lot of work but it was a blast. Six rewrites down, seven more to go.**

 **See ya guys next month...**


	8. Chapter Seven: Home Sweet Home

**-Chapter Seven: Home Sweet Home-**

Last night was a hard one. Once they got home, Ratchet had to explain everything to Qwark, Cronk and Zephyr. They had a bit of a hard time believing him at first, and it took some time to warm up to the idea that they were dealing with an interdimensional threat. Though it hadn't taken too much convincing; it wasn't the first time they'd ever dealt with dimensional travel.

Before Ratchet could even begin explaining what had happened, Jens had excitedly dashed up to the two warbots, tugging at them and analyzing them with thorough curiosity. She's spouted about how excited she was to see such high tech robots and how she couldn't believe they were so common, confusing the subjects of discussion.

" _ **What**_ _is she talkin' about? We're over one hundred and seventy years old, we're completely outdated!" Zephyr replied._

 _Cronk looked over to his partner. "Yeah, but I'm the only one that's still workin'!"_

What she did was uncalled for; sneaking into Aphelion as they were in battle and acting like it was no big deal. It was frustrating to say the least. She seemed completely unaware that what she had done was wrong. As much as Jens wanted to help; they knew they shouldn't reward her. But, she was already here and it was too dangerous to open a wormhole to send her back. Besides, now that Lania knew of their existence it was only a matter of time before she attacked and they could use whatever help they were offered.

And then there was the matter of their other uninvited house guest. What were they going to do with Nefarious? He was currently recovering from the damage Vorselon caused to his chest, a gesture he definitely wouldn't show gratitude for. Tension was high with him around but he was the least of their problems...

* * *

"So, _erm_ , why is he here again?" Qwark asked, gesturing to the where Doctor Nefarious was visible through the window to the next room.

"I already explained it Qwark. Trust me, bringing him here wasn't exactly my first choice." Ratchet then eyed over to the holoscreen, watching the news:

' _... and in other news, criminal mastermind Doctor Nefarious has still not been found since his escape from the Equilibrium Mental Institution over a week ago. He is wanted for multiple crimes committed in both the Polaris and Solana galaxies. The search for Nefarious has spanned for a week in a half and still there has been no sighting of him despite the combined tireless efforts of the Polaris Defense Force, Solana's Galactic Rangers, and even this small, cute search puppy, who we'll be sitting down with for an interview in a minute._

 _Authorities warn all of the populace to keep an eye out and report any signs of the doctor, but stress to not approach him, as he is heavily armed and highly dangerous…'_

"… _And_ it doesn't seem like we'll be getting rid of him soon," Ratchet muttered as he fumbled for the remote.

"But he's so mean!" Qwark protested. "You should have heard the way he was talking to Cronk and Zephyr yesterday when they went to help buff out that hole in his chest!"

Ratchet didn't need Qwark to remind him of the screaming match between the robots. He and Clank had front row seats to the whole thing...

* * *

" _Now you don't try any funny business, you_ _ **whippersnapper!**_ _" Cronk had demanded._

 _"In our day we took down Craggymites by the dozen! We might be old, but we've still the strength to hold you down if need be!"_

 _"Of course you do, you morons! I can't even get up! You still haven't connected the servos in my abdomen, so my legs are useless."_

 _"That's right!" Zephyr agreed with the villain._

 _"Once I'm repaired I'll be a right threat. You're forgetting who you're talking down to! I had half the Breegus Nebula under my control! You think I'm afraid of a pair of blundering warbots when I used to have the entire criminal enterprise of the most difficult to penetrate black market system under my thumb?" Nefarious let out a scoff. "I had eyes and ears every where. I could easily regain control of the system. I'm not intimidated by a pair of warbots so rusted and useless they should have been recycled for scrap!"_

 _"Well you'd better hope there rusted, useless warbots don't drop you off to the Defense Force before you're up and running," Cronk threatened with a jab at the makeshift plate Nefarious had made to cover his exposed torso.  
_

" _You dare touch me!"_

* * *

Ratchet and Clank hadn't allowed to arguing to escalate any further. Ratchet had rushed the pair of warbots out of the room and Clank had worked on calming Nefarious down.

It was true that Nefarious would be a force to be reckoned with once he was operational again. The question was if they could redirect that force, if temporarily.

Ratchet and Qwark heard the door slide open as Talwyn walked across the room and pulled out a chair from the table the other two were sitting at.

"So, how's our guest holding up?" Ratchet asked.

"He's still recovering, but he's functional if that's what you're asking," Talwyn explained. "I'm calling the Defense Force tonight. I want him out of here. We've done more than our fair share for him."

Ratchet frowned and started to retort, "Tal-"

"Don't, Ratchet. I'm _not_ harbouring a known fugitive in my home! He's a wanted criminal who's done terrible things to this galaxy and to you, Clank, and Qwark personally. You can't ask me to forgive that."

"I hear you, but don't call the Defense Force yet."

Talwyn let out a frustrated huff. "I figured you'd be happy to be rid of him. Can't see what information you think you can get out of him, but I'll give you until tomorrow. I'm not waiting for him to be recovered enough to put up a fight with the authorities when they get here."

"I'm going to go talk to him." Ratchet turned to Captain Qwark and asked, "You coming?"

Talwyn was still frowning as she insisted, "don't tell him I'm contacting the authorities. I won't forgive myself if he runs off."

Ratchet gave a disheartened nod, shrugging away his bubbling feelings of guilt as he and Qwark headed towards the fishing hole...

* * *

Ratchet and Qwark easily spotted Cronk and Zephyr chatting aimlessly with one another while Nefarious sat down on the ground near the water, visibly trying to keep his temper under control.

"Are you quite done hovering over me? I'm _not_ a child!"

"No, you're a wanted criminal," Zephyr responded, "Miss Apogee told us to keep an eye on you."

He growled. "Must…resist…urge to kill…must resist." Nefarious then shifted his pupils over to the door as it heavily slammed shut. His eye twitched as he realized who just walked into the room. "Just my luck…"

Ratchet just stared at him, not at all thrilled himself while Qwark failed miserably to hide his towering form behind the Lombax.

Just a quick look at the robot and it seemed as though nothing had happened. Outside of patching his hole up, every bit of his body looked like new. His pipes were back in place and the dents were no more. Heck, it even looked like he got himself a new coat of paint.

"Well, good to see you're feeling better," Ratchet replied before looking over at the two warbots, "You mind giving us time alone? We'll keep an eye on him."

"Alright, but we'll be right outside if things get out of hand." Cronk and Zephyr headed to the door and left the room, leaving the two to talk.

Nefarious just snarled as he turned to glare at the opposite door. Then it opened up to reveal Clank. " _Just_ can't catch a break, can I?" He got up, and started to walk away.

"Nefarious? You're in a space station surrounded by asteroids, where do you plan on going?"

"Still doesn't mean I can't move to another room. I'd like my privacy, if you don't mind."

"Oh _come on_ , Herschel," Qwark ran up putting his arm around his shoulders blocking any escape route, "You can always talk to me! With a dome bigger than my chin, that practically makes us family! What's on your mind? Stress? Anger? World Dominationally frustrated? Lemme just find a pen and notebook and we'll begin today's session!"

Ratchet then started to snicker. "Wait? Your real name is _Herschel_?" Clank gave a cheesy chuckle as well.

"Shut up, no one is supposed to know that! And I _hate_ that name…" Nefarious then eyed Qwark, who still had his arm around him. "And will you _let go_ of me, you moron!"

Qwark took a huge step away as he released the robot.

"...At least it isn't as bad as Tachyon's." Ratchet said to himself.

"Yeah, well your name isn't exactly John Smith either, rodent."

Ratchet brushed the insult aside."Look, Nefarious, we need your-"

"Yes, _my_ help! _You_ always need _my_ help nowadays, don't you? It's sure _not_ because you think I'm indebted to you _again._ Because you certainly can't think of any other reason for me to help you."

"Yeah, but neither you nor I would still be here if you hadn't chipped in."

"Well I wouldn't _have_ to chip in if you just left me alone to rule the universe!" Nefarious fell down onto the ground and groaned. "Ever since that station blew up, I haven't been feeling the same. My weapons aren't as effective, I can't activate my annihilator blades, and my arm keeps falling out!" He grabbed his arm expecting it to pop out, but this time it remained in place.

"Listen, Nefarious, Clank and I can usually just figure stuff out. It's normally just 'I'll destroy the universe!' or 'I'll suck up the sun's energy!', but this is different, very different. We're talking about an interdimensional scheme with an end plan we don't have any clue of."

"So what do you need me for, then?" Nefarious asked, still not convinced, "I'm very sure you'll figure it out with or without me."

"Extra hands, mainly. You're extremely smart. You built a machine that turns organics into robots, and a space station with a giant laser that can destroy even the largest of asteroids. Not to mention that even with your weapons not working properly, you are still powerful enough to put up a fight."

"So I fit the bill? Well, sorry to disappoint you; but I think my generosity is coming to an end. So no matter what you say, I-"

"So you think that whoever is behind this will just let you go on with your plans? That they'll just let you rule this universe when they're planning interdimensional conquest?"

That gave him pause. Nefarious couldn't think of an answer.

"Doctor Nefarious," Clank butted, "this villain is the biggest threat to our universe, and indeed others, since the Cragmites. They already have a large empire in another dimension, and I believe that they will target this one next. Our lives, and yours, are in danger unless we do something now."

The doctor felt less abrasive towards them, but still was not convinced. "And so what if I help you save the day? I'm still left with nothing at the end."

"Of course you expect something." Ratchet then sighed. "Well, I suppose I could give you a year or two to rebuild your side of things. Granted, it'll be hard with the PDF, but you seem to have a talent for disappearing. Qwark is also running for president. May not mean anything, but if he gets elected, I'm sure he can pull some strings."

"Perks of the job, my lombax friend," Qwark added.

Nefarious scratched his forehead, thinking. "...I'll sleep on it…"

"That and the Galactic Authorities are looking for you, and it's kinda our job to help them find you so..."

"What?!" The scientist's tone become harsh again thanks to Ratchet's rebuttal, "Blackmail?!"

"I didn't say that; just bring up a point. We'll give you time…"

The three left the room, leaving only Nefarious to ponder over their offer…

* * *

" _I can't_ believe you even _offered_ such a thing!" Talwyn continued to rant on, still baffled by Ratchet's idea, "Are you forgetting who Nefarious is?!"

"I'm very aware, Tal."

"And yet you still- _Gah_!" She started to pull at her hair in frustration. "Ok, but let's say he decides to agree to your terms? Are you really _just_ gonna let him go after this is done?"

"Weren't we gonna all go our own ways after we returned home regardless? Besides, it's not like he's going to say-"

The sound of the door opening caused them to turn their attention Nefarious, looking like he was covered by a storm cloud yet Ratchet picked up a tinge of calmness as well.

"Speaking of the devil; I'm guessing you made up your mind by now?" Ratchet was about to get up from his seat, expecting the worst and not bothering to even look over to him, "Well, I guess we'll be-"

"I'll do it."

"Huh?" The lombax turned back around, surprised from the answer. "Wait? Did you just say-"

"Yes! I said _I'll_ do it! Did you _not_ hear me?!" Nefarious crossed his arms, mumbling.

"Well, I guess I didn't actually expect you to take my proposition seriously."

"In all honesty, I didn't actually, but I quickly realized that if we let this evil... whoever it is go ahead with their plans, there will be absolutely _no_ chance for me to regain my power and destroy you. You're _my_ enemies, not theirs and killing you should be my prize, when the time comes." Nefarious walked to up to Ratchet. "So for now, we'll work together. But, I expect you to stay true to your word after all of this."

"Oh yeah," Talwyn rebutted as she turned over to Ratchet, "Stay true to letting a c _riminal mastermind walk out_ of here like he isn't a threat!"

"Word gets around here quick it seems…"

Ratchet just sighed, "Yeah, I know, not the wisest decision I made today but right now Nefarious is the least of our problems. Can you two try to get along for the time being?"

"As long as he behaves himself," The girl stared Nefarious down.

"Yeah, yeah, _I'll_ behave myself. _I'll_ be a _good_ boy for Miss Apogee here."

"Not to ruin a perfectly good truce and all, but do we really expect him to play along when he's out on the field Ratchet? You're being very liberal with him to begin with."

"Don't worry, he'll be working at the station the whole time."

"Oh," Nefarious was taken by surprise from Ratchet's reply, "Well, so much for me gearing up. But if that's the case, what am I needed for?"

"Recon. You're good at hacking into things, right? Think you can put those skills to good use on radio waves, communications, news tablets, and newspapers? Anything to really help us."

The robot couldn't help but let out a snicker. "So, basically, you want me to spy on people? I'm surprised you'd suggest such a thing, it isn't exactly legal. _Oh Well,_ not as exciting, _but_ I used to hack into Solana and Polaris communiqués," He cracked his knuckles as he bragged on, "Should be a cinch."

"Great. Talwyn will get you set up on her computer's mainframe." Talwyn offered Ratchet a baffled look, surprised to be volunteered, but she didn't react with much more than a glare and her hands secured firmly on her hips.

"Sure thing. _And_ what will the rest of you be doing? I don't expect to be the one doing all the work, am I?"

"...We don't have a gameplan yet. But that's where you come in. Cronk and Zephyr mentioned they'll be doing some scouting in the area as well."

"You know you sitting around waiting for something to pop up isn't a smart strategy either?"

"Never said it was. Regardless though," Ratchet held out his hand, "Welcome to the team."

Nefarious just stared at the lombax with nothing but disgust at the very idea he expected some sort of gesture. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves here. This is a mutual beneficial relationship, nothing more."

The lombax lowered his arm in disappointment; couldn't say he wasn't surprised. "Anyways, is there anything else you need? Ya know, resources, tools, anything as long as it doesn't involve you blowing the station up."

"Oh, _you're_ hysterical. But no, not really. An extra hand may not hurt though, I'm used to having Lawrence pick up the weight if need be."

"Oh, _oh!_ " Qwark jumped off the couch raising his hand, "I'll hel-"

"No." Nefarious put it bluntly.

"...oh, ok…" Qwark slowly walked out the door in disappointment.

"I mean, Clank and I could help a bit but we'll most likely be out and about. But I'm sure Tal would be-"

"Oh," Talwyn got up from her chair and headed for the door, "I'll go set up that thing now. Don't want to waste anymore time…"

Ratchet watched her. "Ok, I guess not, but I'm sure-"

"Oh,would you _look_ at the time," Zephyr looked down at his wrist pretending he was wearing a watch, "It's time to change my oil. I should get to it."

" _And_ I have to help," Cronk followed his comrade, "Knowing him, he'll make a mess…"

As they left, Jens and Clank entered the room. "Where's everyone goin'?" The young girl asked.

"Ratchet, Doctor, have you two discussed-"

"Yeah Clank, he agreed to help us," Ratchet saw Jens and gave her a smile. "Hey Jens, you said you wanted to help too, right?"

The girl immediately perked up. "Absolutely! What's up? Are we bein' invaded? Do you need me to man the station while y'all track the baddies? I'm ready fer anythin'!"

"You can help Nefarious, he said he could use an extra hand."

Jens' ears flopped down, her disappointment evident. "What?"

"Pff," Nefarious let out a snort, "I'd rather be stuck with Qwark."

"Hey, if that's the case," Ratchet interrupted, "I'll go get h-"

" _No!"_ The mad robot waved his hands all around until he calmed himself down. He cleared his throat. "I mean, no, no she'll do."

"Y'all gotta be kiddin' me? You're askin' me to help the walkin' radio?"

"You said you wanted to help, right?"

"Yeah, but…" Jens sighed before looking back at the lombax. "Alright, I won't argue. Still…"

"Oh stop your complaining brat, I'm not thrilled about being here either. You don't see me whining. Now, go fetch me some oils. I'll need pristine fingers if I want to get that info as quickly as possible."

"Ratchet asked me to help, not be your slave."

"Yeah, well, Ratchet also asked me to help, by any means necessary. And the means that I find necessary might include a game of catch with shockwave bombs and you on the receiving end…"

Her eyes looked as if they were about to pop out of her head. "I'll go grab those oils," and she went darting out the door. Both Ratchet and Clank glared at Nefarious over his remark. He sighed.

"Relax, I'm not gonna kill her, your ears can stop twitching…"

"Still wouldn't hurt you to be nice, just saying. We're all on the same side, _Herschel._ "

"...You're not going to let that slide are you?"

"Nope, not in the slightest. Anyways, Clank and I are going to get something to eat. Talwyn should have everything set up by tomorrow."

"Splendid."

"Do you think we should check on Jens first though?" Clank mentioned, "She seemed frighten."

" _Pff_ , she's fine."

There was a crash heard from the broom closet next door. "No _I'm_ not!" Jens shouted in distress.

Ratchet sighed. "I'll meet you outside Clank. Make sure Jens doesn't hurt herself."

Clank gave a little nod and then ran out to help Jens. Ratchet headed to the door, but before he could leave...

"Ratchet?"

The lombax turned back over to Nefarious. "Yeah?"

"Erm…um, I just want to say," The robot tried his hardest to make out his words as he shuddered over them. "Th-th- tha…"

Ratchet just raised an eyebrow.

"…tha-tha-thank- " He then took a breather and finally let it all out, "...Thank you, for saving my life back there. If it was anyone else, I'm sure they'd leave me to rot..."

Ratchet stared at him, puzzled. Nefarious was thanking him for saving his behind? That's something not seen every day. "You're welcome…" He said still holding the same expression as he was about to walk out.

"But," The mad robot's tone took a harsh shift as he strolled over to the Lombax, "I just want to make one thing clear. This alliance? It means _nothing_ when this is over. Once this enemy is defeated, I'll be on your tail so I can _rip_ it off and strangle you with it." Nefarious leaned forward. "Do I make myself clear?"

' _So much for that thank you.'_ Ratchet put on a scowl, not expecting anything less from him. "Crystal..."

"Good."

"Anything else?"

"No, that's all."

Nefarious watched the other leave. He sighed, sitting down on a sofa in the room. "How do I always get in these messes…?"

* * *

" _Wretched space rat! Your quest is_ _ **far**_ _from over! For you see, the most_ _ **horrifying**_ _truth has yet to be revealed! My dear Lombax, I am your father...'s_ _ **accountant!**_ _Did that do it?! Did that sufficiently_ _ **blow your mind?!**_ _Let that just roll around for a bit. Ahh, yes. Now, come! Find me in the Corvus Sector, and let us_ _ **end**_ _what we began! Vorselon out!"_

 _Vorselon shut off his communicator, feeling very pleased with himself._

 _"_ _ **Ahh**_ _, that felt good. Trooper! Do you think he was terrified?"_

 _*HE WILL BE CALLING HIS MOMMY ANY SECOND NOW, SIR*_

 _"Haha! Excellent! He doesn't even_ _ **have**_ _a mommy anymore, now does he?!"_

 _*EXCELLENT JOKE SIR. DO YOU WANT TO GO HAVE SOME PIE?*_

 _"No, I do not want some pie, I'm allergic to cream!"_

 _*...PERHAPS YOU WANT TO TAKE-IN A HOLO-FILM?*_

" _...No."_

 _Vorselon looked over to his new mech-suit, and he got quite excited. It was a prototype, but it was the most heavily armored suit in the entire galaxy. The thought of crushing the Lombax's head with all twelve of its leg tentacles made him squeal in glee._

" _I can't wait for that rat to come," His voice held a dark tone as he was put his claws together, finding delight from the thought of what he would do to the Lombax._

 _*YES SIR, I AM SURE. DO YOU WANT TO PLAY A GAME OF CARDS AS YOU WAIT?*_

 _Vorselon turned to face his trooper. "I will surely win against such a lowly trooper such as yourself!"_

 _*I DO NOT THINK SO, YOU HAVE NEVER PLAYED A GAME OF-"_

 _The Terraklon quickly charged up his claws and pointed them at the trooper. "_ _ **I will**_ _win,_ _ **won't**_ _I?"_

 _*ER, YES SIR, OF COURSE, YOU ARE UNDEFEATED, HOW COULD I HOPE TO WIN AGAINST SUCH TALENT?!*_

" _Much better..." Vorselon grinned, not noticing he was holding his cards backwards as the game began…_

* * *

 _A few good hours went by as they played Egyptian Rat. It wasn't enough to relieve the boredom however, as the Terraklon started to lose his patience…_

" _Oh, in the name of Orvus, where is_ _ **he**_ _?!"_

 _*I AM SURE HE WILL COME SOON, SIR*_

" _It has been_ _ **seven hours**_ _!" Vorselon snarled as he crossed his arms. "And I am_ _ **getting**_ _quite_ _ **bored**_ _…"_

 _The trooper looked at both of their piles, seeing that his opponent had far less cards than he did. Nearly the whole deck was in the robot's possession with the exception of three cards. Once he started to notice his boss' hand getting smaller, he made very sure to let him smack down before he did when there were tons of chances of him stealing the win. However, after playing so long, it was only a matter of time til luck changed the game._

 _That, and Vorselon already slammed down so hard that he broke the poor thing's arm._

 _*UM, ERM…*_

 _The trooper then saw a flash of light appear behind Vorselon without him noticing, and a small, fat looking robot stood in its wake. This quickly changed the game as the Terraklon flipped down his last card and seeing it was a double..._

 _The trooper slammed his claw down before his opponent could get the chance and looked up with a smug glare._

 _*YOU LOSE*_

 _Vorselon snarled, not taking his defeat lightly as he slammed the trooper's head right onto the table, snapping it in half in the progress._

 _*OW, THAT HURT!*_

 _Sparks were flying out of the robot's now cracked head and before it could get back up, the Terraklon lifted him up by the claws. "How_ _ **dare**_ _you win against me! Do you know who you are-?"_

 _Before he could let the rest of the words out of his mouth, he felt something tapping the back of his tank. He turned inside his dome, not even bothering to rotate his robot body, but jumped in fear as he saw the robot pointing a gun at him._

 _"La-Lawrence?" He gasped._

 _"Yes, it is I."_

 _"W- What are you doing here?" Vorselon asked as the trooper got back up and clinged to Lawrence like a child, "I thought Nefarious was dead."_

 _"Oh, he is dead my friend. However, he has left a lot of things for me to clean up now, so I am resolving all potential issues that may hinder me."_

 _"Hinder you in what?"_

 _"My band, of course. Anyway, I do apologize for the inconvenience, Mr. Vorselon, but I have to confiscate these robots from you and return them to the seller."_

 _"_ _ **What?!**_ _But they're_ _ **my**_ _troops! You can't just take them from me!"_

 _"On the contrary, they are, or should I say, were, Nefarious' troops. His problems passed down to me, and I don't need ten thousand death bots at my beck and call. Surely you understand that…"_

" _Even if_ _ **you**_ _don't need them,_ _ **I**_ _surely do!"_

" _I don't believe your name was on the lease when we signed."_

" _ **Then**_ _transfer the_ _ **rights**_ _to_ _ **me!**_ _!"_

" _Do you think having a little temper tantrum is going to help you get your way? Tisk, tisk, Mr. Vorselon,_ _ **I**_ _expected better from someone of your," He cleared his throat, "_ _ **Variety,**_ _to say the least. Though, speaking of contracts," Lawrence leant his head in closer to Vorselon, this time with a sinister tone. "I don't have the need for a mercenary, either."_

 _"Y-... you're firing me?"_

 _"Yes, Mr. Vorselon, I'm afraid our business has concluded. If you need referrals however, I'm sure the Doctor had a list of contacts lying around somewhere. I'll forward it to your holomail. I recommend working on those matters of yours though. For professionalism's sake and what not."_

 _Lawrence started to walk away, but then stopped._

 _"Oh wait; I do in fact have_ _ **one**_ _need for these robots." He got out a communicator from within his suit. "Remove this Terraklon, or what's left of him anyway. Does anybody know what the first planet is on our way to your manufacturer?"_

 _*PLANET ZAURIK, SIR*_

 _"Ahh, that'll be a good spot."_

 _A mass of robots then burst into the door. Vorselon attempted to retaliate, but the force of his own troops quickly overwhelmed him. And with a simple pop later, he was as threatening as a fish at the pet store._

 _"You can't do this to me! I am_ _ **Lord Vorselon**_ _, the greatest Terraklon ever to roam the galaxy! Even the Drophyds tremble before me if I so much as sneeze in the direction of_ _ **their**_ _planet!"_

 _"Well," Lawrence said, "I doubt they'll find you very threatening now. A shame, really, as their homeworld, is the planet we are headed to."_

 _A feeling of pure fear and embarrassment crossed Vorselon's fate. "B-but what about my suit, I_ _ **need**_ _that! That's like taking Slag's old peg-leg!"_

 _"Well, I suppose I could sell it. Or better yet, use it as a wicked costume for my next show. Oh yes, I think it'll go down well." The butler-bot took a quick scan of his surroundings, "Doubt you'll have use for this as well. I'm sure the Vullards would pay good bolts for a warship of this size."_

" _Yo-you are taking my ship too?" The Terraklon's voice cracked._

" _Now that you mention it, that would be a wise idea. Rent in Axiom City isn't cheap you know. Anyways, It appears I may have overstayed my welcome. I have plenty of things to do and I do not wish to waste anymore time. Do take care, Mr. Vorselon. Ta-ta."_

 _And with that, Lawrence zapped away back to wherever he came from. Vorselon started to shiver, as he felt sicker for what they were about to do to him…_

* * *

 _On Zaurilk…_

 _Vorselon pouted at the sense of disbelief (and boredom) as the rain poured down on his tank, watching every drop fall. Lawrence's troops took away his jet pack so any way to flee was out of the question. He heard snickering above as he looked up._

" _HA," A Drophyd pointed down to the head. Vorselon saw a pair of them standing above him, still wearing the suits that Tachyon gave them when they were under his command. Vorselon snarled as the Drophyd continued, "Well, well, look who's back?! I thought you were still waiting for an invitation. Don't you know that it's rude to come unannounced?"_

" _You indecorous creature," The Terraklon yelled, "Once I get out of this mess, you will regret that you ever messed with_ _ **Lord Vorselon**_ _!"_

" _Yeah?" The other Drophyd said, "Well, at least_ _ **we**_ _still_ _have our_ _ **limbs!**_ _"_

 _Both of them burst out laughing "Good one, Steve!" They gave each other a high five as they walked off, still humored._

" _Err," Vorselon could do nothing more but sigh as he just stared down at the dirt below him. However, his ears caught a loud_ _ **bang**_ _and he shifted his eye the other way, widening from what he saw._

 _Right before his eye, he saw a wormhole appear as two robotic troops with a knight looking shell came right out of it, waving their guns around, seeing if the coast was clear. One waved its hand giving the ok._

 _Following after came another trooper, followed by a woman who held an umbrella to cover herself from the downpour._

" _Such a disgusting place..."_

 _With a good scan and a few steps in, she pushed her tentacle hair out of her face before putting her hand on her hip._

 _"Hmph, this isn't right. Trooper!"_

" _Yes my lady!" He replied, saluting her._

" _Are you sure we're in the right location? We're literally on top of the Terraklon's co-ordinates, and yet I don't see him."_

" _That's because you're_ _ **standing**_ _on his enclosure!" Vorselon said from under her foot, as the woman just glared down._

 _"Oh, of course." A short pause quickly followed, and then she freaked out. "AH! What_ _ **is**_ _that?!" She leant down to look at the helpless creature and rolled her eyes. "Urgh, it's just a head in a tank." She took pause, noting her calm despite the strangeness of the situation.. "_ _ **It's**_ _a head_ _ **in a**_ _tank." Then a sigh. "I've seen it all at this point."_

 _"_ _ **This**_ _head was once the greatest Terraklon in the galaxy!"_

 _"Oh really? And - what is your name?"_

 _"_ _ **Lord Vorselon**_ _! The most feared mercenary ever to cross the galaxy, and let people live to tell about it!"_

 _She just eyed him, giving a few blinks before she started to snicker. Her amusement grew stronger as she laughed louder with her troops doing the same. And of course, he wasn't at all happy about it._

" _May I ask what is so funny?"_

 _The woman glared down at him, still having a good laugh. "You're Vorselon? I_ _ **don't**_ _know…" She took out a piece of paper and read over it. "…you look_ _ **much**_ _taller on your business card."_

 _"Hmph!" Vorselon said, offended._

 _She looked down at him again, still holding a smile. "Why are you on Zaurik, of all places?"_

 _"I was betrayed and backstabbed by the most nefarious villain in the universe! ...Or, at least, his butler, anyway..."_

 _She cracked up once more as she leaned down again, tapping his tank in mockery. "Wow,_ _ **the greatest ever**_ _, huh?"_

 _"Well, you try and face ten thousand of your own troops and see how_ _ **you**_ _like it!"_

 _She took on a more serious, almost understanding tone. "I see. Well then, if you put it that way, I suppose I understand." Still kneeling on the ground, her mind told her she was forgetting about something._

 _"I was the best assassin in the universe, but I'm helpless without a body."_

 _"Is that what your tank connects to?"_

 _"Yes. My old suit could power entire cities with the electricity it could create!"_

" _I see," Looking back to her troops, who were arguing about trivial matters, she realized what she forgot to do._

" _Oh," She spoke, "How rude of me, let me introduce myself. My name is Empress Lania of the Neoprine Empire. I've come to you as I am in wanting use of your services…"_

 _"Well, you didn't exactly treat me like you needed my services, you blue-tentacle_ _ **harlot**_ _!"_

 _That comment would have caused her to throw that tank of his into a wall, but she wasn't going to let a little slur get to her over the situation at hand._

 _"You yourself could be a little more polite when a client makes you an offer, instead of insulting them." Lania leant closer towards Vorselon. "But, I think on that basis, we may work well together." she smiled._

 _Vorselon got a glint in his eye. With Nefarious, he always felt that he was being evil to him, not with him. But this Lania person felt different. The fact that he thought her as pretty attractive helped as well, something he couldn't say for his last client._

 _But he wasn't going to shove aside those insults she threw at him. He shook his head, getting his mind back together. "Hmph, tell me why I should work for you then? You haven't really given a sales pitch outside of insulting me."_

" _Well," Lania went over the details, "The pay will be fit to your liking, we can give you a place to stay if needed, and seeing your, erm,_ _ **position**_ _, I think that could be arranged easily. And some other things do come with the plan."_

" _Still not interested."_

" _Well, in tha-"_

" _My lady," one of the troopers spoke out as Lania turned right around to face him, "I apologize for bugging you, but... I_ _ **don't**_ _think this floating gremlin head would be the right person for the job."_

 _With a peeved glare, she gave her subordinate a hard slap across the face, knocking him off his feet. "How_ _ **dare**_ _you speak over me!" Lania put her boot heel on his back, as he started to shiver._

 _All Vorselon could do was watch as she berated her henchman, and for some odd reason, couldn't let his eye off her._

" _I- I-I'm sorry, my lady, bu-but…?"_

" _ **But**_ _what?"_

" _I was just sayin-"_

 _"Don't you_ _ **ever**_ _question my judgment again, I know a mercenary when I see one! Besides," Lania once again took out the piece of paper, this time holding a calmer tone, "It says he's got a five star rating on his business card, I'm no fool."_

 _"Sure it isn't five out ten?" A hard kick followed right after, as the soldier cried out in pain. Lania wasn't at all taking it well, causing her to stomp on him as he screamed._

 _"You're_ _ **really**_ _testing me, you know that?"_

 _"Lania, I-I'm sorry, I was just-"_

 _Before he could even finish, Lania gave him another hard kick, causing him to cough up a bit of oil._

 _Vorselon just glared with his mouth wide open, letting out a small sniff. "So- such evil, such beautiful, beautiful evil..."_

 _She glared back down to the trooper, taking out her pistol. The sight of this caused him to shiver and shut his eyes. Lania pulled the trigger and…_

 _ **Bang!**_

 _The busted up trooper opened them again. He noticed the laser's smoke an inch from him before looking back up. Lania still held a displeased mug but her features finally relaxed as she put her weapon away._

" _Never question my orders again, is that understood?"_

" _...e-yes my lady, it'll never happen again."_

" _ **And**_ _I'm sure no one has anything else they would like the share, do they?"_

 _The other two soldiers were holding on to each other. "Ne-no my lady," One said. "I think we're good."_

" _Good, keep it that way." Lania looked back at the other. "Get back on your feet soldier, slowly if you must." She then put on a smile and returned her focus back over to the Terraklon. "Well, as I was saying, in-"_

" _U-um-um-u…" Drool would have been visible from Vorselon's mouth if it were not the fact he was stuck in a tank full of ectowater, as he remained speechless…_

 _Lania just questioned Vorselon's expression, as she couldn't do anything else but just stare. "What's wrong with you?"_

" _What?!" He shook his head again, returning to reality, "Erm, sorry about that." He gave a good look around in embarrassment._

" _Well, anyways," Lania spoke once more, as she started to walk the other way, "Since you don't seem interested in the job, I guess we should be on our way."_

" _Wait!" Vorselon shouted in an attempt to have her stay as she was about to step into the wormhole. "I myself am not sure if I should offer my services to you, but, seeing my,_ _ **erm**_ _, current condition, well…" He stared back down to the ground, as the reminder of him still lacking a body made him feel slightly ill._

" _Did you not say that your tank can connect to a suit?"_

" _Yes, that is correct."_

" _Hmm," Lania pondered to herself in thought before looking back at him. "Well, perhaps we can give you a new mechanical body? It wouldn't be hard to do; I have a person for the job."_

" _Yes, yes please! Give me the best suit you have and I promise I will do anything you ask!"_

" _Well then, we have a deal. And of course, the plan offered is still valid." Lania picked him up, turning back at her troops. "Ok men, let us head out!" She then realized her offending pun. "My apologies, Vorselon."_

" _Um, Miss Lania?"_

" _Yes?"_

" _Well, if you don't mind, I have one_ _ **little**_ _favor to ask…"_

 _She raised an eyebrow, all ears. "And what would that be…?"_

* * *

" _AH, oh my god it burns!"_

" _Oh, what are you doing?! That doesn't belong there! AHHHHH!"_

 _The screams of the Drophyds that picked on the Terraklon earlier could be heard in the background. Vorselon watched as Lania's soldiers caused pain to the fish. What a pleasant sound to his ears it was. All Vorselon could do was smile from it as he looked up at Lania, who glared at her troops as she commanded them to finish the job._

 _He blushed while her gaze was still averted. He felt quite glad he took the offer…_

* * *

"Mr. Vorselon?"

" _Ah!_ " Flint turned right around, taking eye of the small blaargian girl as he was brought back to reality. " _What_ is it, _you_ brat?!"

Murka shoved aside his comment, giving a sigh. "Sorry to disturb you from your _day dreaming_ , Mr. Vorselon, but Empress Lania would like to have a word with you…"

After hearing that name, he gulped, knowing what was to follow once he got to the throne room…

* * *

Vorselon followed the child as they walked through the hallways, finally leading to a dead end as they both entered the throne room. The first thing to catch his eye was Lania, sitting down on her chair as she watched the two come in. Murka came to a stop, and kneed respectfully as she greeted her.

"I'm sorry about the wait, my lady."

Lania gave the girl a cheerful smile. "Thank you dear. Please leave us."

And with that, Murka left the room, Vorselon's eye tracking her until she was out of sight. He looked back up to Lania as her smirk changed to an irate frown. She tapped her fingers on one side of her arm rest, while the other she leaned her elbow, resting her face on her fist.

The Terraklon was frightened to even say the littlest of words. He knew what he had coming, and he was nervous he was going to anger her more than she already was.

"Do you know how I feel right now?" she asked, calmly with the tinge of frustration.

Vorselon was still too afraid to answer. "Um, er, well, ah..."

" _Infuriated_ , that's what!" Lania snapped, slamming her fists onto the table right next to her, as the wine from her glass reached the tip of the rim. "I'm paying _top_ dollar for your services, but all you've done is piss around following the Lombax and getting your bucket kicked!"

 _'I-it's a tank, actually.'_ Vorselon thought.

"Why do you think I've hired you?" she asked sternly

"T-to aid in your services?"

"Among other things, yes." She stood up, putting her hands behind her back. "I hired you because we needed an agent who knew that sector of the universe and to retrieve The Core, notably from Torren IV. Predictably, it wasn't there, but you made possibly the _worst_ mistake in your career."

"I couldn't help it! My suit malfunctioned because it got damaged in combat!"

"And you didn't even _think_ of putting up any shields?! Or putting up a good fight, even? Your damaged suit then warped those nuisances to a random dimension. But not _any_ dimension, no no, one which I have recently _occupied_!

"And to make matters worse, they've befriended one of the locals and taken her with them! How?! Because they stole our outdated Dimensional travel schematics and high-tailed back to their original dimension and lost us! You were _supposed_ to kill them before they could leave and blow our cover, but _nooo,_ you failed in that." She let of a snort. "Perhaps it was five out of ten."

Vorselon had shivered deep to the bottom of his tank, as Lania put her hand on her forehead in annoyance. "I hope they don't have a track record of heroics, that's all I need."

"I-I hear the Lombax and his accomplice have a bit of a reputation..." Vorselon piped, recalling the past foes he had defeated.

Lania took a deep breath at this news. She then looked down over at Vorselon, who was whimpering from all the yelling and still shivering in his tank. She sighed. "Flint, don't. I would be yelling at anyone if they screwed up, and you aren't an exception to this."

"So you aren't mad at me?!"

"Of _course_ I am, _you_ idiot!"

Flint then went back down to the bottom of his tank. However, he composed himself quickly. "I-is my next task to kill them, my lady?"

"No, I have someone else for the job."

" _What?!"_ Vorselon jumped in his tank, almost cracking his head on the top of it. "I'm not doing it?!"

"I'm relieving you from your duties, for now, at least."

"But I won't fail you, my lady, I promise!" Vorselon was pleading in front of her.

"I've heard that before." Lania snapped her fingers and two troopers walked in. "Send in Thanatos."

"Than-Thanatos?"

The door slammed open as Vorselon turned around. Coming from the other side of the room was a tall, bulky man with a devilish appearance. His back was curved from the weight of his arms. He moved his left mechanical arm as he took out the cigar from his mouth, blowing smoke. He looked his way before turning his yellow glowing eyes to Lania.

"You called, my lady?"

Vorselon peered up at the man, turned his gaze to Lania, who was glaring daggers at the carpet and then back to the newcomer to see he had thrown his smoke on the floor and was stepping on it to put it out. "W-who's he?!"

The other man looked down at him. "Who's the fish?"

"Who are you calling a-!"

"Flint!" Lania shouted before he could start any more trouble, as Vorselon nodded and remained quiet. All the while the man just kept staring down at him.

Minding his temper, Vorselon repeated, "Who is he?"

"Oh," She gave out a sigh, "You two never met before. Flint, this is Cornelius Thanatos. Cornelius, this is Flint Vorselon."

"Oh, right, nice to meet you." Thanatos said briefly, not at all caring about the new person right beside him. As he pushed Vorselon aside, Thanatos shifted his attention to Lania, walking up with an intimate tone. "Well, well, Lania. Been a while, has it," He took her hand, lightly holding it in his, "Nice to see you still have that ferocious air, as always."

Vorselon growled from the sight of Thanatos trying to flirt with her, making a fist with power from his hand boosting up as he turned redder.

Before Thanatos could kiss her hand, Lania took it right out of the way as she stared him down. "I thought we made it clear that you wouldn't try any of that ever again? You should know by now I'm not interested."

He pouted as he took out a box of smokes from his pocket. " _Always_ playing hard to get, Lania," He tried to grab her hand again, "Come on, we knew each other for a good few years now, why not giv-"

"You _stay_ away from her you brainless scum!" Vorselon went right between both of them as he snarled right at Thanatos, "Only the great Lord Vorselon can please her evil little needs…" He said proudly.

All Lania could do was roll her eyes.

"Uh-huh," Thanatos had popped another cigar in his mouth and lit it, giving it a taste before taking it out of his math and blowing smoke from his nose. "Bub, you're a floating head in a jar, trust me when I say you wouldn't get past first base…"

"Why you -!" Vorselon sneered. "My lady, I _assure_ you I could do much better than this _disgraceful_ being!"

"You do realize that Cornelius is one of my highest ranked men, let alone the chief of my military and General." Lania just shook her head, "Besides, Thanatos I have full trust in, quite the opposite from you at the moment…"

"Bu-but I thought _I_ was your favorite minion…" Vorselon pouted with his pupil large.

" _But_ of course you're my favorite minion, sweetie," She got off her throne and rubbed his tank, "And you'll always be so."

The Terrakalon just relaxed and blushed as he looked into her eyes. "I know, love…"

Thanatos snickered. "Oh, please. _Please_ tell me this is a joke Lania." He banged Vorselon's tank, as he just growled. "This is the idiot you're dating?! Geez, I thought you had better taste than picking a wussy fish."

"I _am_ a man, and I'm no wuss!"

"Yeah," Thanatos just leaned down to his head level, "Well, at least I still have a-"

" _Ahem_."

Both of them turned their eyes to Lania as she just tapped her foot with her arms crossed.

"I didn't call you down for you two to have a cock fight, Cornelius. If you don't mind…"

Thanatos then got himself up, "Right, so what did you call me for?"

Lania sat back down on her throne. "As you know, we have been looking for The Core the past few months now with little to no luck. Well, we most likely _finally_ tracked it down." She pushed a button near her chair, popping up a holoscreen showing planet Lumos. "Our resources have picked up that the core is located on planet Lumos, Polaris Galaxy, dimension 3XTE. Where it is on the planet is unknown, but it's believed to be in Krell Canyon thanks to traces of Zoni bioenergy in the area. You can thank Murka for the info."

Thanatos put on a smile. "So, I'm guessing you want me to storm the area."

"Yes, and put together your best troops, just in case someone _interferes_ ," She looked down at Vorselon, embarrassed about his failure.

"Lania, babe, trust me I got this. _Besides_ ," He took another taste of his cigar, blowing out smoke, "I never fail…"

"I never fail, _blah_!" Vorselon mocked Thanatos' words, as the other man just looked down at him, not amused.

"Oh, don't get your tentacles in a knot Flint," She then returned her attention back to Thanatos. "You have an hour to get your men and whatever else you need together; I have full trust in you that you won't mess up."

"And I _shall not_ disappoint…" Thanatos walked out of the room and slammed the door shut. All Vorselon could do was snarl as he looked back up to Lania.

"Still think I can do better…

"Sure." She just picked up the wine glass next to her as she took a sip. "And that's why you got your ass handed over to a furball…"

"Oh, I warn you my lady, that dreaded space rat and his friends are a force to be reckoned with. Even in this very moment they must be preparing to fight us with all their strength _and_ intelligence!"

* * *

" _Oh Lance! Your eyes glimmer like the mines of Lumos!"_

Ratchet, Clank, Qwark and Jens were sitting on the sofa across the holovision, with the Lombax munching on the popcorn his friend handed to him. Talwyn was helping Nefarious set things up while Cronk and Zephyr went out scouting. The scientist picked up on some abnormal signals but couldn't pinpoint where exactly they were coming from. The two war bots offered to check it out.

" _Oh Janice, you smell like… a Florana Dung Beaver! When was the last time you showered?"_

" _Fifteen years ago, when I took a bath with Englebert on our honeymoon!"_

" _The one on Orxon?!"_

" _Yes Lance, The one on Orxon!"_

Qwark gasped as Ratchet kept munching away. It wasn't until Jens broke the silence. "I don' get it? Why are these type of shows popular anyways?" She turned over to the guy wearing green, as he was biting on fingernails through his own gloves. "Well, guess someone has to be invested."

Across the room however wasn't any more exciting. Talwyn plugged in the last wire and the boot up sound chirped from the computer. She wiped the sweat off her face. "There, you should be good to go." She turned over to Nefarious, "Anything else you need?"

"No, I think I'm good in regards to all the tools, _but_ ," The mad robot eyed over to Jens, "I _could_ use a cup of coffee."

Jens took notice. "Seriously," She scoffed, "You can't get it yerself? 'Sides, can y'even drink coffee?"

Talwyn just sighed and attempted to break up their petty argument before it began, "I'll go get you some later, right now can you two _not_?" She turned over to the younger girl, "Jens, why don't you take a walk. You said you wanted a tour of the station, right?"

She stared at her oddly. "Yeah, I did, but I hoped you'd show me around."

"Alright, I'll be right out in a second. I just need to speak to Ratchet first about our guest over there," Talwyn's head tilted in the direction of Nefarious.

Jens got up and walked out, "Alright, see ya in a second.."

The Markazian sighed as she walked over to the couch and sat by Ratchet, "Now that she's out of the room…"

"Thought this was about Nefarious?" Ratchet responded.

"I didn't want to offend. Anyways, I know you said she wanted to help but should she really be getting a free pass after sneaking onto Aphelion?"

"I know what she did was wrong Tal, but we could use all the help we can get."

"I'm not arguing with that, I'm more so worried that she thinks she did nothing wrong. If she does something like this again, she could get hurt. We can't afford that."

"She's impulsive, I'll give you that," The lombax sighed, "I'll talk to her when I get the-"

The were interrupted by a beep as Cronk and Zephyr's holograms popped up.

"Cronk? Zephyr?" Talwyn said in surprise, "Is everything okay? I thought you were exploring the Cerulean sector for suspicious activity."

"We were, Miss Talwyn!" Cronk explained. "But we came across some lone space pirates wandering around! It was strange, them being out on their own, but they said that since Slag and Pete got their radio show they've neglected to keep up their pirating ways."

She gave him an odd look. " _And_ what does that have to do with...?"

"Well," Zephyr told, "I had the wisdom to ask them about any strange activity, and they said that they got some strange readings on their ship while near Lumos! So we blasted off pronto! And when we arrived, we found that their tale was true! The needles were shimmying and shaking like it was the high school ball! Remember those days, Cronk?"

"Are you sure it wasn't the Obsidian Eye in Krell Canyon?" Ratchet remained skeptical of their tale.

"Oh yes, we checked that just in case, and the needles were barely up to the jumping that they were before!"

The lombax nodded and quickly got up. "Nefarious, you think you can try to gather up some data in the area? Clank and I are going to head out to Korthos."

Nefarious turned quickly to the computer screen and started typing, "I suppose I can hack into one of the Agorian satellites by there. If I find something, I'll contact you once you get into the sector."

"Good," Ratchet geared over to the aged robots airing on the hologram "Cronk, Zephyr, stay in the sector, we'll meet you there."

"We hear ya, rookie!" Cronk replied as both of them saluted before hanging up. The lombax looked down at Clank.

"Let's get going…"

"I am right ahead of you, Ratchet."

The two then ran off, as the others in the room just watched them leave to their next adventure…

 **-End of Chapter Seven-**


	9. Chapter Eight: Junk in the Trunk

**A/N:** Hey it's been a awhile, huh? I took November easy and finished this chapter late December/early January but only now am I posting it. I wanted to make a backlog of chapters but that doesn't seem to be working as planned. Good news though is chapter 9 is almost done (will be up next month hopefully) and will start on chapter 10 right after.

Thanks for bearing with me guys.

* * *

 **-Chapter Eight: Junk in the Trunk-**

 _Thanatos held his head high as he slammed the bar door open. He was drenched with sweat, but that was typical of a day spent on Mephisto._

 _Mephisto wasn't a place you would want to plan your next vacation to. The whole world was extremely hot with very little water in sight. Hardly surprising when an ocean is replaced by lava. Often their water supplies had to be shipped from other planets._

 _The native Lucirians weren't the friendliest either; they were known to be a brutal, conquer-thirsty race. There was once a time they even held control of the entire galaxy. But, that time was long gone, passed by many, many millennia. Thanatos remembered those days of his youth, leading his men to victory when people stood in their way, only to have it all taken away.  
_

 _The millenniums since hadn't treated him well at all…_

 _He walked over to the back, sitting down on one of the stools as the bartender met his gaze._

" _Another rough day I see, Mr. Thanatos?" he said. Thanatos just replied with a small smile, no words coming out of his mouth.  
_

" _Um, right." The bartender poured some liquor into a small glass, and slid it over to him before turning the other way._

 _Thanatos lifted his glass up and took a sip. His drink was nearly forgotten however as he caught a good look at the person sitting next to him…_

 _"Are you Commander Cornelius Thanatos?" she questioned, not bothering with making eye contact as she held her drink in her hands.  
_

 _He eagerly turned toward her. "Yeah, what-_ _ **Whoa**_ _…" Thanatos interrupted himself as he put his drink down, finally getting a full view of the woman. He didn't bother to hide his gaze obviously running over her red dress, viewing up and down her until he made eye contact, pretty impressed._

 _ **'Well, well, what do we have here?'**_ _Thanatos thought to himself. "You look redder than my last gory victim," the commander said aloud, "And that ain't no bad thing."_

" _Charmed," She said sarcastically. "I'm in need of your services."_

 _Well that was straight to the point._

 _"Services? Babe, what you need from me_ _ **ain't**_ _for sale." Thanatos gave a slight chuckle, amused by his own comment, despite the woman just eyeing him strangely. "I_ _don't waste my assortment of talents on anyone. I work for me and me alone."  
_

" _Oh, not even for money?"_

 _Thanatos fingered the rim of his glass as he took the woman's words into consideration. "Well, depending on how much we're talking, I could be swayed into changing my current policy. What do you even need me for?"_

 _"Good to see we're on the same page. I heard from a client of mine that you have quite the reputation. Years of military experience and once a great leader who always got the job done. That's what I've heard, anyway. Appearances seem to suggest otherwise…"_

 _He felt irritation bubble through him as she brought up his history and his hand started to clench against the glass he was holding, but he forced himself to keep his cool. "Get to the point babe, I don't have all day." He said harshly, losing his patience…_

 _"Right, as I was saying, I want you to help me build an army…"_

 _"Really, that's all you need me for? Sounds easy enough, if you have the budget." He took another sip._

 _"…An_ _ **inter-dimensional**_ _army."_

 _Thanatos literally spat out his drink, spraying it all over the counter. The bartender tossed him a disgusted look which he ignored to demand from the woman, "A_ _ **what?!**_ _"_

 _"I believe you heard me quite well. I know, it sounds ridiculous, but yes, that's what I'm asking…"_

 _He just eyed her warily. "Uh-huh," A light laugh followed before he talked again. "Listen, babe, I'm sure you can find some other nutters who may be interested in the loony bin across the street," He pointed his thumb in the direction of the asylum nearby. "Perhaps give it a visit anyways, because you just may not be sound..."_

 _"Not even for..." The woman leaned closer to Thanatos' ear and whispered a number so high, he didn't believe anyone could have that kind of cash._

 _"If what you say is true, you're either very lucky or blue blooded."_

 _"I'm resourceful, though being bought up by wealthy parents does help. But, as I was saying; I was researching Zoni technology and dimensional theory, but my studies got me a lead on some, well, let's just say,_ _ **interesting**_ _information that I found useful. Got in trouble for it and was kicked out from my home, losing everything I had." She crossed her legs, putting her arm on the counter and resting her cheek against her fist. "I know what it's like to have everything you have worked for taken from you. I can offer you a position where you can help cultivate an army, the most fearsome the Omniverse has ever known."_

 _"Lost everything_ _ **yet**_ _you still have the cash to pay me?"_

 _"I have partners investing. And as I said, I'm resourceful. Does it matter how I obtained it?_

 _"No, but I ain't stupid," Thanatos got back into his drink. "And how do I know you won't just toss me aside once you get what you want? You aren't giving me a solid sales pitch here."_

 _"Never said you were stupid, but you have a valid concern." She cleared her throat. "I'm looking for allies, either that share a common goal or who are interested in an exchange of services. Regardless, I have no business in betraying any of them. I am also in need of a military commander, hence why I came to you. If you choose to join me, then you will get your own private legion of troops to help get your race back to where it belongs and where it has always deserved to be." She followed with a smile. "Is that a solid sales pitch for you?"_

 _He looked over to her as he finished his drink, and got up from his seat. "Sorry babe, not interested. You should get yourself a sanity check. Or perhaps get lucky," He then leaned closer to her face, "_ _ **And**_ _I may not mind offering_ _ **that**_ _to you, despite your craz-"_

 _A slap in the face followed after that statement, almost causing Thanatos to be knocked off of his feet. He snarled at her, as he watched her walking away, completely composed despite her irritation._

 _"Perhaps you should look somewhere else for_ _ **that**_ _offer..."_

 _Lania walked out the door, not looking back. He heard a cackle coming from a few people across from him, and he just turned around, glaring at them. Thanatos pulled out his blaster, "What are you laughing at,_ _ **punks?**_ _" and it lit up with deadly plasma as it charged, his finger hovering dangerously over the trigger._

 _They all turned around, returning to their drinks.  
_

" _Yeah, I thought so…" The Lucirian just mumbled over his words as he put his gun away and then rubbed where the strange woman slapped him._

 _He replayed moments of the conversations in his head. Inconsiderate, she was, talking about his glory days as if it weren't like pouring salt on an open wound. Not to mention that an inter-dimensional army was about as inconceivable as annihilating an entire star system._

 _But then he realized something, something that he didn't pick up on before. "Did she say something about…?" He got out of his seat and ran right outside the door, trying to catch up to the strange woman._

" _Hey, crazy!" He called out to her, "What did you mean when you said you worked in Zoni tech? They haven't been in this galaxy for centuries!"_

 _She turned around, stopping in her tracks, still angry and not letting his insult fly over her head. "Do you really believe my offer is still available to you after that little stunt?"_

 _"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm a pig, go shove that in my face, will ya?! But you said you needed allies, and you don't seem stupid enough to just drop a potential contender. Ain't sure if I'd say I'm interested in taking it yet, but I'd be lying if I said I'm not the least bit curious."  
_

 _Even though she was still mad over what happened, she sighed and put on a smile. "So I reeled you in then," She cleared her voice. "Perhaps it's best to have this conversation somewhere private, if you don't mind."_

 _He put on a smug grin. "Of course…"_

 _"I have a ship not far from here, we can discuss matters there…"_

* * *

"Hey rookie," Cronk popped on Aphelion's holoscreen, "We caught your flight signature as you arrived in the Korthos sector. Zephyr and I are gonna go for a quick oil change, we'll meet you at the canyon."

"Alright Cronk, Ratchet out!" The lombax shut off the receiver. "Aphelion, any messages from Nefarious yet?"

"Doctor Nefarious just called actually," Aphelion poked in, "Patching it though."

" _Ah, Ratchet, there you are, finally! I can't figure out this infernal machine!"_ Nefarious banged on it.

"Here I thought you were calling in for something that was, ya know, important? I'm sure the holovision can wait."

" _Hey,_ _ **that**_ _is a big deal! How am I supposed to watch my soaps?! Lance and Janice waits for no robot!"_

"I'm sure you can live without it for a while. Tal did mention she was going to disconnect the cable in that room. Didn't want you to get distracted."

" _ **What?**_ _! Why?!"_ The robot crossed his arms. _"Seriously, she's treating me like a child…"_

" _Anyways_ ," Ratchet rolled his eyes before staring back at the screen, "Were you able get a hold of anything? Or was this just about the holovision?"

" _Oh right, that."_ Nefarious sighed. _"Not much, but I was able to pick up on some radio transmissions in the area, likely from the search party that this Lania person sent out. Something about a 'core'."_

"Core?" The Lombax questioned, "Can you expand on that?"

" _What do I look like, IRIS?! But no, not much else besides them dropping hints about it being Zoni tech, but whatever it is, just hope you get your hands on it before they do. We both know what happens when you screw around with that stuff."_

"Well, it's not much, but it's something. Thanks Nefarious."

" _Yeah, yeah, whatever. I'll keep an ear out regardless and inform you of anything else I can salvage. I'll keep in touch. Nefarious out..."_

* * *

Aphelion gracefully flew into the skies of Lumos, landing right outside the Vullard habitations. Ratchet quickly jumped out of the ship, as Clank landed on his back. He saw Cronk's vessel land right next to him as he was taking out his Constructo Pistol.

"What's the plan?" Zephyr asked as he and Cronk climbed out of their ship.

"Nefarious got a lead on something called the Core, located somewhere here. That's all we know about it, but he mentioned it was Zoni technology, so chances are it'll be blue and gold or something."

"Roger!" Cronk replied enthusiastically.

"We'll split up, contact us if something comes up."

The two robots walked the other way and Ratchet started to walk around the huge field.

"Ok, I think the first thing we should do is check the cave," Ratchet turned his head to Clank. "I think it would be the best bet."

"Ugh, great, it's under the rocks again!" A grumble voice complained in the distance.

Ratchet turned around, with Clank already spotting the yell on his back.

A few steps away was an Agorian, struggling to get something out of the boulder that pinned it down. It looked to be one of the heads to a Hydra Tank, most likely left over from the invasion Ratchet stopped a few months ago. Evidently, he had been too busy trying to get whatever it was looking for to notice him and the War Bots land.

' _An Agorian? Why is he here?'_

Ratchet got into a battle position as he raised his wrench into the air, walking up slowly and quietly. He wasn't clear why he was here, but knowing the species, he didn't want to take a chance for mayhem to happen.

"Err, ugh, c'mon, get out!" The Agorian kept tugging at it, squeezing it out little by little. _"Ah!"_ Finally getting it to budge, he fell onto his back, hitting his head on a rock.

"Ow…"

He shook his head, putting aside the ache. "They always make me do the hard work…" The Agorian smiled, holding the piece of metal in his hands. "Good to have that-"

"Stop right there!" Ratchet leaped right out of the sky as the foe just looked right above him full of shock.

" _AH!_ " He rolled away before the Lombax could strike him with his wrench, running quickly behind the rock.

Ratchet landed on his feet, still holding up his mechanic tool. "Huh?" He hadn't expected an Agorian of all things to retreat.

"Oh please don't hurt me fuzzy guy," The Agorian shivered, still hiding, "I didn't cause the flood last week on purpose, I-I was peer pressured to turn the valve, I swear!"

"Wait, _what_?!"

"Stay back, or else I'll attack you with my…" He quickly grabbed the closest thing he could from the basket on his back. "…book?"

The Lombax lowered his weapon, giving a small snicker. "Ok, ok, I don't know about this flood thing, but, erm… put the book down and no one will get hurt…"

Still shakily holding the book up, he quickly opened up his right eye, lowering his arm while opening the other.

Clank quickly got off Ratchet's back, while the Lombax just looked at the Agorian. "Sorry if we frightened you, we thought you were a threat…"

"A-a threat? Why would you think that? I was just doing my job."

"Your job?" Ratchet questioned...

* * *

"So, let me understand this, um, Kor'jack was your name, right?"

Kor'jack looked down at Ratchet with a nod as they walked throughout the canyon. "Yup, that's me."

"Alright. So you were exiled from your old home just because...you weren't 'Agorian' enough?"

"Eyup. They considered me a disgrace and a coward so now I live and work in Krell Canyon." He sighed, "Not that it's a bad thing, kinda like it here. Quiet, laidback, and surely not as rough or crazy as my old home. So, fuzzy guy, what brings you here?"

"Well," Ratchet replied, "We're looking for something."

"Huh? Like what?"

"Ah, there you are Kor'jack," A Vullard said, in the familiarly distorted voice of their race. He walked up to the three, greeting them. "We need an extra pair of hands…"

"Oh, sure," Kor'jack threw over the bin off his back and onto the ground, "Heavy lifting, right?"

"Yes, just need to move some machinery," the Vullard looked down over to Ratchet and Clank, "And I see you bought some Outsiders with you?"

"Yeah," Kor'jack replied as he walked over to the job at hand, starting to push it up. "They said they're looking for something."

"Ah," He turned back over to them. "What is it you're looking for, Outsiders? While we don't have as much scrap as Torren IV, I'm sure we have something that will satisfy you."

"Well," Clank started to describe, "We are looking for a Zoni artifact, something known as the Core…"

"The Nexus Core!" Kor'jack shouted, but he instantly covered his mouth with his hands. However this meant that he was no longer holding onto the thing he was lifting, which fell right on his foot. _"OW!"_

Both quickly turned over to the Agorian, "What's the Nexus-?"

"Oh, it's nothing Outsiders!" The Vullard spoke in a polite, nervous yet harsh tone as he talked back to Ratchet, "My colleague here just mistook the thing you're looking for something else, no worries."

Kor'jack looked back at the others, still embarrassed as he rubbed his foot in pain.

"But no, what you are looking for is not here, Outsiders. I'm sorry…"

"Um, thanks anyways," Ratchet watched the Vullard leave, feeling something wasn't right. It was hard to believe that they didn't know what this 'core' is with a reaction like that. With all the hesitation and Kor'jack trying to cover up after speaking, it sounded unnatural. He leant down to Clank.

"They're hiding something," Ratchet whispered over to Clank.

"Yes, I can sense that too."

"Hm," Ratchet scanned the area, spotting Kor'jack finally done with the Vullard's task, wiping the sweat from his forehead. He smiled. "Hey, Kor'jack?"

The Agorian turned around. "Huh?"

"You said something about a Nexus Core? What is that?"

"What? Oh, um, erm," He hesitated to speak, nervous, "I mistook it for something else. Being a non Vullard, I sure don't know what I'm talking about when it comes to junk, heheh."

"Well, you acted like you knew what we were talking about…"

"As I said, I know nothing." Kor'jack walked back over to his bin. "Besides, I'm not allowed to talk about anything in the Obsidian Vault to Out-" He covered his mouth again, swiftly looking around tense. "Oops…"

"So _you_ do know what we were talking abo-"

"Sorry Fuzzy guy, but I gotta get back to work!" He picked up the basket, full of more junk than it was before as his back felt like it was going to break. " _Gah_ , what do you guys keep putting in these things?!"

"Kor'jack, please," Clank walked over to the nervous Agorian, "We really need to know where and what the Core is."

"I'm sorry, but I can't," Kor'jack started to walk away. "You know too much as it is. Besides…" He looked around both ways before speaking again, seeing if the close was clear "Besides," He said in a low voice as he walked back over, "We need to protect it for whatever reason it may be…"

Ratchet was dumbfounded. "From who?"

"Don't know, but some red, rusty trash bot told us to keep it in the deepest parts of the Vault."

"Sigmund?!" Clank's eyes widened from Kor'jack's description. "May I ask you Kor'jack, what is this Obsidian Vault and why did this person tell you to hide it there?"

"Erm, I shouldn't really be telling you guys, but I can tell you're not gonna leave me alone about it," He took another look around. "Can you keep a secret?"

"Yes Kor'jack, we can."

"Well, the Obsidian Vault is an underground secret, erm, I guess _junkyard_ that the Zoni created. The only Vullards here know about it and are supposed to guard it due the value of many of the things in there." He scratched behind his head. "At least, that's what I'm told…"

"I know this may come across as a tall order, but we need to go inside the vault."

" _Whoa!_ Metal guy, you're asking a lot here! The Vullards won't agree to that!"

"Yeah, we guessed that," Ratchet interrupted, "That's why we're asking you to take us."

"...wait, _what?!_ "

"We never been there before, Jack; so we can use a guide."

"I'd be breaking my oath! It's off limits and, well," He started to shake as his mood changed to a fearful one. "I-I don't _really_ like going in there…"

"Hey, it can't be that bad."

"Yeah, but it's dark, and dangerous, and scary, and wet, and dangerous, and-"

"You said dangerous twice."

"I know, it's _that_ dangerous!"

"Kor'jack, please do understand," The small robot calmly intrude him, "If someone is trying to get their hands on this Core, we have to understand why. Also, I know Sigmund; you have to trust me…"

"Bu-but…I don't wanna…"

"You got to trust us on this." Ratchet reassured, "Besides, it's not like you're going in there alone, right? I mean, we are coming with you."

"I-I guess…"

"There, nothing to worry about!" Ratchet gave him a friendly smile.

Kor'jack just sighed. "Fine, but I ain't going to like it, that's for sure…"

"Great, just lead the way!"

"Um, sure, but you can't mention this to the Vullards. If they hear that I-"

"Don't worry, our lips are sealed."

* * *

 _Lania threw down a suitcase, causing a loud thump as it landed on the table. "Feel free to look at it."_

 _Thanatos opened it up. Inside was a bunch of papers: blueprints, notes and documents, all focusing on Zoni technology and dimension travel. He was no scientist though, so some of the terminology and equations went over his head. Still, it gave him the impression she knew what she was doing. "Quite the load you got here."_

 _"...I really hope that wasn't an intentional innuendo."_

" _See, now you're the one with the dirty mind!" Thanatos then looked over to the two men with guns across the room. "Ya know, when you said we were going to talk in private, I thought you meant exactly that."_

" _We just met. Even with a potential ally, there are always risks." She took a seat on the sofa, crossing her legs, "That, and even though I know how to look after myself, it doesn't hurt to have extra hands…"_

 _"Heh, 'extra hands'…"_

 _Lania just raised an eyebrow in disgust._

" _Never mind," He opened up one of the blueprints, scanning it. "So, how were you able to get a hold of this stuff?"_

 _"As I said before, I was doing research, but I got more information as I went along after I was exiled."_

 _"I'd ask what you did that was so bad outside of coming across something you weren't suppose to, but I'm assuming you don't want to talk about it?"_

" _You're implying that stealing information isn't just the end of it." She sighed. "But no, I don't. Otherwise, all you need to know that I'm just a wanderer around the omniverse."_

 _Thanatos looked at her, confused. "Omniverse?"_

 _"I thought you picked up that I'm not from around here?"_

" _Yeah, I thought maybe out of town. From outta this universe seems a bit out of the realm of possibility."_

 _"If you accept my offer, Mr. Thanatos, you'll realize just how small your reality is."_

 _He put down one of the blueprints. "Alright, let's say I let you expand my horizons. And how, pray tell, are you gonna do that? Has it got anything to do with interdimensional travel?"_

 _"I can't share that information with someone outside of my employ."_

 _"Or you don't have a real plan and you want me to sign on the dotted line before you let me in on that fact."_

" _Unfortunately I cannot risk disclosing the details of my plans to anyone who is not in alliance with me. However, I can say that I have an army eagerly awaiting a general to take command. And they will be quickly put to work."_

 _"Yeah, sure," He took out a box of cigars and put one between his teeth. "Still, how could I trust you? I barely know you, you're telling me next to nothing and yet you expect me to believe you'll keep your promise?"_

" _Well, first off," She took the cigar out of his mouth, "Do not smoke in my ship. But to answer your question; I'm a woman of my word. What I can say now is that I will be true to my promise once my goal is over and done with. Trust me; I don't believe in betraying my partners without a good reason. So, as long as you don't give me cause to suspect you, we're good."_

 _"Of course." Thanatos glanced at his smoke that she tossed in the trash before he glared daggers at her. Still, he kept himself cool. He really didn't need to give Lania's hired mooks a reason to shoot him._

" _Well, what is your goal? Or you ain't going to share that neither?"  
_

 _Lania yawned. "Same answer as before."  
_

" _Persuasive argument you're making there."_

 _Lania got off the sofa, standing up stretching. "Intrigue is a very persuasive motivator, and I imagine yours has been piqued. Well, you have until tomorrow to make up your mind. Meet me back at the same bar, same time as we met."_

 _"I'll sleep on it…"_

" _Fantastic. We may not have had the best first meeting, but I do believe you're the right man for the job, Mr. Thanatos. I won't take any ill will if you deny my offer however…"_

 _"Sure you won't..."_

 _Lania got out of his way and pointed to the door. "Anyways, you have until tomorrow…"_

 _"I heard you the first time," Thanatos put another cigar in his mouth in preparation to smoke it once he got outside. "Anyways, don't be surprised if I turn it down." The door then slammed shut…_

* * *

 _Sitting on the stool at the bar, Lania waited patiently for Thanatos to arrive. She glanced at the clock, seeing that he was late. A good two hours late._

 _She was thinking about giving up on him. She lingered here enough and after dealing with some unwanted advances and the smell of the place finally getting to her, she had enough of this planet. Zoni have mercy if she had to come across this pisshole again…_

 _About to get up, she took notice of the sound of the creaking door and turned around. It was Thanatos. "You're late." she said sternly._

 _"Sorry about that, had some unfinished business to deal with," He sat down next to her. "Well, I slept on it and with some thought; I'll take it…"_

 _A smile graced Lania's features, glad to hear the news. "Quite surprised you took up on the offer. You didn't come across as convinced."_

 _"Yeah, well, still think you're a bit crazy if you plan on pulling whatever you want off; but trust me, I've seen my share of crazy. Dealing with a little more ain't gonna kill me, babe."_

 _"Trust me, you're gonna see a lot more. Still," She let out her hand as a gesture.  
"Welcome aboard." _

_He took grip and shook it. "Glad to be." However, his grip got tighter as he leaned in a bit. "But, just so ya know, try any stunts that don't stay true to your word or stab me in the back, you'll get what's coming to you. I'm not going to go easy on you just because you're a woman…"_

 _"Thanks for the warning," She wasn't the least bit fazed by his threat; she'd had her fair share of them during her recruitment process. "But as I said, don't expect any sort of catch, betrayal or anything else that I didn't mention in the contract that would be a burden to you..."_

 _He let go of her hand and calmed himself. "At least we see eye to eye. So, what do you have planned to make this a reality?"_

" _In due time, General…"_

* * *

The frigate Lania sent out finally arrived into the sector. Looking over the mission and research for Lumos, Thanatos was damn sure that this would not be in need of a full battalion. A few dozen troops would be more than enough for a 'package pickup'.

All the soldiers, both the stranded troops and some of Thanatos' private legion, prepared for their encroaching arrival.

"Alright boys," Thanatos paced around the room, cigar already between his teeth and lit. "We're approaching Lumos. So objective: Once we arrive, we storm the area, round up everyone, and start asking questions. And If they refuse to speak up, don't hesitate to use force but no killing unless I give the command. Made clear?"

"Um, sir?" One of the soldiers replied, raising his hand, "Empress Lania told you _not_ to smoke inside the warships…"

"Ya think I give a crap about what she said? She should just be grateful that we're getting this job done _right_." Thanatos just sighed, rolling his eyes. "Anything else you want to put on my performance report?"

"Um, yes. Wha-what if someone gets to the Nexus Core before we do?"

"Hey, you forgetting who I am? Trust me, we'll get it."

"I don't know, I have a gut feeling that-"

The robotic soldier's parts flew all over from an explosion as the others jumped up in shock. They looked over to their general who's robotic arm transformed into his blaster, as the smoke from the aftermath still raised up into the air. Thanatos looked at the others with tranquil fury.

"Any other concerns?"

Silence spanned throughout the whole room.

His arm then returned back to its normal state and clenched tightly in a fist. "Good, I'd like to reserve my ammo…"

"General Thanatos!" His name was called out from the speakers, "We are about to land!"

He gave a grin as he turned back to his army. "Men, get your weapons ready. Time to have some _fun_ …"

* * *

A small creak came from the Vault's door as Kor'jack slowly opened it, taking baby steps going in. Ratchet and Clank followed but not as cautious.

"You weren't kidding when you said it was dark." The Lombax's voice echoed throughout the cave as he turned over to the Agorian.

"Now you know why I hate coming down here…" He grabbed a Helio-Grub from the ground, putting it inside a small lantern. "Anyways, say close. This place is huge like you wouldn't believe."

The three adventured deeper through the path to the chamber that held the Core as both Ratchet and Clank viewed its structure in all its glory.

Kor'jack's description was spot on. It was surely wet and cold due to it being underground with such an open space, and the massiveness 'beauty' of the vault's design gave it a chilling feel with all the cracks and broken equipment around. Anything of no use to the Zoni was put here. It wasn't until the deeper parts of the Vault where things started to rank in value.

And of course, it was dark, to the point you would be blind as a bat if you didn't have anything to light the way.

Ratchet shifted his eyes back to the Agorian, watching him biting on his nails as they entered farther in. "Kor'jack, you sure you don't know anything about the Core?"

"Huh?" He turned over to him. "Oh, no, no clue at all, I just know what it looks like…"

"Well, how much farther?"

"Erm, shouldn't be that much longer. Getting closer to the end, the deepest part of it," He shivered, "Why did I say yes to this again…?"

"Hopefully we aren't chasing a ghost," Ratchet took out his radio, "I'll go contact Cronk and Zephyr…"

* * *

"Whew! I feel so hot my oils burning up!" Zephyr said, wiping his brow.

"Well that isn't out of the ordinary," Cronk quipped, "You should be used to overheatin'!" The two had been searching for a good few hours, and despite being robots, the heat was starting to get to them. They were currently crossing over a large open clearing, hoping to make it to the other side sooner or later.

"How are we supposed to know when we see this Core anywhoo?"

"Beats me," Cronk struggled.

Zephyr then looked up into the sky when he spotted something. "Lookie there! Are my receptors acting up or do I see something flying down on us?"

"I'd say both."

The vessel descended from the sky. The fire veiled, and it landed down at the clearing right in front of the old war bots. The hatch opened, revealing a demon-like creature the two had also never seen before, as his men hovered around him. The man walked towards the robots, not at all noticing that they were there.

"That guy looks uglier than your first prom date..." Zephyr whispered the Cronk.

"Quiet! You want to get us killed?!"

"Well, seeing how you junkheaps are going, that could be arranged easily." Thanatos didn't take notice of the warbots until after taking his first step on the earth, and definitely _not_ hearing them after _that_ insult. He bended his knees a little so he can be closer to their eye level. "Where I come from, the highest privilege a robot gets is to clean the dishes, so you'd better hope you don't get me on my bad side…"

"Humph!" Cronk retorted, "Robots have a right to choose and opinionate just like any other sentient being!"

"Cronk, you don't even know what sentient means!"

"Something to do with sand, right?"

"That's _sediment_!"

" _Enough_!" The Lucirian demanded, as his blaster raged out from his hand. He returned to his full height, towering over the warbots. "I don't want to waste my time with a bunch of rusty tin cans, so listen up. I'm looking for a very important artifact, one that would be helpful to a good friend of mine." He leant forward, putting his face in theirs. "You two don't know anything about what I'm talking about, do ya?"

Cronk and Zephyr looked at each other.

"Nope, just, eheh, passing through!" Zephyr lied.

"We're just lonely travelers, sir." Cronk improvised. "We like to wander about in the middle of nowhere. It helps us connect with our inner Zen via the beauty of the world!"

"Zen huh?" Thanatos gave a snort, "Yeah, listen, I can sense bull." He turned over to his men, "Take these two prisoner."

Two guards instinctively walked up to the old robots, stealing their weapons. "Hey!" Zephyr fought back until he was pushed down and the next moment later, a gun was aimed at his head. "Fun fellows, aren't ya?"

"I'd behave yourself if I was you. Trust me, my men can get _pretty_ trigger happy if they get the chance." He dropped his old cigar on the ground and stepped on it as he took out a fresh one and put it between his teeth. "Private!" Thanatos ordered. "Any sightings of the settlement in the area?"

"The scanner says yes, sir! In fact, we're picking up Zoni bioenergy not too far from that location as well"

"Well, that was quick," Thanatos' lit his smoke, "We just need to pinpoint it now. Prepare to storm the area and gather the inhabitants for questions. If they refuse to comply, destroy the settlement."

"Right away, sir!"

As the trooper was about to spin around, the general gestured with his hand.

"On second thought, I _changed_ my mind. Destroy the settlement, and _then_ ask them if they know where the Core is!"

"You can't destroy the village," Zephyr cried out, "Those are innocent people!"

"Yeah," Cronk supported, "they're unarmed and might not know anything!"

"Damn shame then, but either way, the burning and screaming should keep me entertained as we look for the thing." Thanatos took in a breather, inhaling some of the smoke from his cigar as if it was normal air. "The _only_ good thing left about my job…"

"Cronk, Zephyr!" A radio around Cronk's waist interrupted them, "It's Ratchet. We found the location of the Core."

Thanatos listened in, as he pointed his weapon at the robots. "Pick it up…"

Zephyr tuned into the call, a bit fearful of the situation they're in. "We-we hear you loud and clear."

"Great. Alright, we're in the Obsidian Vault. It may be hard to find but use one of your scanners to pick up the energy. Try to meet us there, ok?"

The Lucirian just smiled, as he took the radio out of Zephyr's hands. "Men, change of plans! Split the boys up. Half of you come with me, the rest do as commanded before. You four," he pointed to some lower ranked men, "Watch these trash cans. Shouldn't' be a hassle, aye?" He crushed the walkie talkie with his bare robotic hand, giving a small laugh…

* * *

The radio went static, as Ratchet kept shouting the robots names. "Cronk, Zephyr?! Are you there?!"

Still no reply.

"Cronk?! Zephyr?! Come in!"

His mind filled him of thoughts of what may be happening on the surface. It was odd that the war bots didn't get back to him. _'What's going on up there…?'_

"Ratchet," Clank looked up to his friend still traveling into the deepest parts of the Vault. "What is wrong?"

"It's Cronk and Zephyr. I contacted them just a second ago, but now all I'm getting is noise."

"It may be because we're deep underground," Kor'jack butted in, "Receiver may be blocked off. It happens time to time…"

"I guess, but…"

"We're here!"

Ratchet and Clank then took notice of the huge door in front of them. "Wow…"

"This is the most secure part of the Vault," The Agorian walked up to the gateway, "But it's also the most dangerous as well."

"How so?"

He started to push the door open. "Well for one, there are traps to protect this part of the vault in case of intruders. The Vullards know the codes and puzzles to get in."

"Well, do you know them?" Ratchet acclaimed.

"Erm, well… _somewhat_ …"

The Lombax just put his palm on his face. "Don't tell me you don't know?"

"I do know!" Kor'jack shouted, "My memory is just a bit, well, blurry…"

His ears flopped down from the reply he acquired. "Well, that's assuring."

The entrance finally unlocked. Kor'jack peeked in, taking more baby steps. "All right, seems safe at the moment."

The other two followed. "Ok, so, what are these traps we're referring to?"

"Um, that I'm unsure of…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! You have no clue what we're dealing with?!"

"Erm, not really. I've been in this part of the cave before, but never did I deal with the traps, someone already took care of them when we put the Nexus Core down here." He put a nervous smile on his features. "I really should have said _no_ to this, shouldn't've I?"

Ratchet just sighed. "I'm sure it's fine. How bad can these traps be?"

All three of them looked straight through the hallway as their eyes widened. Reaching out until the end of the Vault were lasers, but before that, you had to go through walls and ceilings of spikes that slammed into you, a bunch of flames and last but not least, a bunch of Tetramite nests to get past. Ratchet's ears flopped down once more as Kor'jack's eyes almost looked like they were about to pop out of his head.

"Um, is it too late for me to take back that comment…?"

"…Ok, turning back now!"

"Hold on a second!" Ratchet stopped Kor'jack by the tail as he tried to walk away, "We didn't come this far to just turn back now. We can do this…"

"Well count me out, fuzzy guy! I treasure my life, thank you." The Agorian tried to get loose from Ratchet's grip, with little success…

"C'mon, you're an Agorian! You're supposed to be fearless, strong and honorable!"

"Well I'm not like other Agorians, now let me go!" He fell to the ground once he got free. "Oof!"

"Kor'jack," Clank reasoned, "We may still need your help, please, stay." He then turned back over to the hall.

"Hey, I didn't agree with this to begin with, you peer pressured me into it!" He started to walk away. "I'll be standing near the exit of the Vault when you give up…"

As he was about to leave, Ratchet looked down at Clank. "Heh, now I can see why he was exiled…"

Kor'jack perked up, turning around with a disgusted face. "What are you saying, Lombax?" He replied pointing his finger at him.

The Lombax just looked at him, putting on a grin. "Oh, nothing, I'm just saying for an Agorian, you're kind of a…well, wuss…"

"Wuss? Hey, I know I can be a coward sometimes, but I'm also not dumb enough to risk my life. Argonians have common sense too..."

"You wouldn't even risk your life to protect the universe?"

"Um, well….erm…yeah, I guess not!"

"Heh," Ratchet then started to walk down the hallway. "Oh well, seems like we're on our own Clank. C'mon, let's get going; see ya at the gate Jack…"

The Agorian snarled. "Wait a second!" He charged up to the other two as Ratchet turned around with a smile. Kor'jack went past them and walked into a stream of water before stopping in his tracks, taking notice of the Tetramites. "Erm…"

The two stood beside him. "This seems to be a problem. Even my hoverboots can't get past this, too many Tetramite nests close together for me to make it safely to the other side."

"Why can't you send tin-man through?" Kor'jack asked.

"Because," Ratchet explained, "I have it from a very reliable source that Tetramites will eat through anything. Although I doubt Clank will be very tasty."

"Okay seriously, these traps are impossible! Who thought of these?!"

Ratchet took notice of a large gap in the middle of the floor, stopping right at another stream of water. He then looked up, noticing a valve with a tank full of water.

"Well, I think I solved the first puzzle…"

"What do you mean?" Clank eyed the faucet. "Ah, now I see. But how are we going to be able to turn it. It is out of our reach…"

"Well," Kor'jack butted in, "I know the Vullards had a remote control that was able to turn it on, but they have it, not me…"

"That's out of the question then…" Ratchet looked down at the small robot with a sly grin. "Clank, mind playing a game of tossup?"

Clank just eyed him. "I do not like the sound of Th _at-ooWooo!_ "

Without warning, the robot was thrown right into the air, flying right into the valve. On contact, Clank grabbed onto it as he looked down at the other two. "You could have at least warned me, Ratchet."

"Sorry pal. Mind turning that valve for us?"

He lifted his body up, landing on the pipe. He started to turn the spout until water began to pour down into the gap. Once it was fully drained, Clank jumped and landed into the new stream as the Ratchet and Kor'jack followed with the Tetramites attempting to only to stop dead at the edge of the water.

"Good job Clank…"

Once they got past the nests and reached the flames, they watched them go on and off.

"Ok, there's a pattern here, each one goes up every ten seconds, seems like the spikes are the same way. So if we time our movement's right, we should be able to get by." Ratchet turned to the other two. " _Sooo_ , who wants to go first?"

Kor'jack had a nervous expression on his face. "Erm, I'll go last…"

Clank hopped on to Ratchet's back as the Lombax quickly examined the challenge they were going to face. "Just follow what I'm doing, ok Kor'jack?" The first flame went down as Ratchet walked on to the floor, and then the second, and so on and so forth. It was a bit tricky to time it, but it wasn't the first time they had to go through this sort of thing.

Ratchet made it across unharmed, turning around watching Kor'jack…

"Ah, hot, hot, _hot!_ " Kor'jack moved a second slower pace than the other two had, causing his feet to feel the heat before the flames arose again. Once he jumped tough, he took a deep breath, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"…You didn't even break a sweat, are you guys use to this or something?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

Seeing the spikes right in front of them, Kor'jack gulped as he picked up and pulled on his tail. "I really don't like this."

"We'll go together this time, so just follow me."

All three watched the walls and ceilings of spikes go down, waiting for the right time. The first ceiling was about to go up, as Ratchet eyed it.

"Go!"

They took a step as they watched the walls open up…

"Go!"

They kept going by the pattern as they got closer to the end.

"Ok, one more and we're home free. Get ready by the count of three…"

The walls were about to open as they glared through the gap that opened up. "One…"

"Two…"

" _Three!"_

They jumped though; as a loud slam followed once they got by. Clank got off of Ratchet's back as they both smiled. "See Kor'jack, nothing to worry about." It was quiet. "Um, Kor'jack?"

Ratchet took notice of the Agorian shivering in fear as he looked back at the spikes. "Find a happy place, find a happy place, find a happy place…"

The Lombax just shook his head. "Well, we now have only one thing to get by," He turned his head to the lasers. "This isn't going to be easy…"

Clank zoomed out beyond the lasers, noticing a switch on the other side.

"Ratchet, there is a switch on the other side, let me take care of this one. I am the only one who is small enough to get though."

Ratchet nodded. "Good luck…"

Clinking with every step, Clank walked over to the laser grid, glaring at them as he kneeled down, about to leap.

He took his first move though the lasers, moving in a slow but steady pattern. He kept going, almost ninja like with his movements.

Getting to the last laser, he rolled right under it, barely touching as he got back up, running to the off switch. The beams disappeared once he pulled down on it, giving a small smile to Ratchet and Kor'jack running over.

"Hey metal guy, how did you learn moves like that?"

"Well, playing a secret agent on holovision and being your own stunt double does have its advantages. Hee hee hee hee…"

"You did great, Clank." Ratchet gave the small robot a pat on the back as they all continued on.

Kor'jack then noticed a switch on the wall saying _'all traps off.'_ He ran over and pulled it, causing everything to shut down. Ratchet and Clank turned around over to the Agorian.

"What? I'm not going through that again on the way out!"

"Heh, can't blame you on that."

They arrived at the inner center of the vault, amazed by what was in front of them. Miles after miles of Zoni technology lying in an endless wasteland, all piled up in massive mountains of trash, creating a subterranean canyon on its own. And there it was, on top of a medium-sized pile of scrap metal: A beautiful, bright blue glow which caught the attention of our heroes.

A small blue sphere, shimmering inside a glass-like container and sealed with what seemed like a complex Zoni security mechanism…

Ratchet walked over to it, relieved that it was here, yet somehow…

"So, this is supposed to be the Nexus Core, this…little thing?" Ratchet picked it up. It wasn't much bigger than Clank was.

"Yup, that's it? What's wrong?"

"Erm, I don't know, just with how everyone wants their hands on it, I was expecting it to be, _well,_ bigger…" He tapped on the glass, but then took his hand off sharply. "Ah! The glass is hot…" Even through his glove he could feel the sheer heat from within.

The heat of the entire Core shot up like a rocket with Ratchet letting it go as it dropped. But it did not fall to the ground, instead the Core hovered above it. Clank and Kor'jack stared at it while Ratchet sucked his finger. The casing opened up like a flower, and the blue sphere of pure energy emitted a sound suggesting it possessed raw power; the power of a thousand galaxies and all the star cruisers in it.

The sphere expanded, the energy barely being contained as it filled the room, when the rocks split and were drawn towards it. Once it reached the height of a ten-storey building, the energy sphere calmed and stopped. The casing on the ground, now miniscule in comparison, expanded itself, pieces coming out of nowhere to make up the frame to protect the sphere. Climbing up like ladders, the four frames met at the top of the sphere, and with a brilliant flash of light, impenetrable glass filled the gaps in-between. The three could only gasp in awe.

"Wow..." Ratchet said. He turned to Kor'jack. "How do we get it back?"

"Why you asking me?! You're the one that set it off!"

"Then we have a problem…" Ratchet looked down at Clank. "...I don't think even you would be able to fit that in you, Clank."

"I would be more worried about it destroying me with its energy than it being able to fit."

The three looked back over to it. "Well then..." Ratchet then spotted something on top of the core, as he squinted his eyes…

"Oh great, guess what I see at the top of it?"

"What?" Clank responded

"A button, only... how am I supposed to reach it?"

"I know! There's a ladder in here!" Kor'jack ran to the other side of the room, and there he found it. He hurried back and laid it right next to the Core. "Here ya go!"

"Well, that would be helpful..." Ratchet said, "But that's a step ladder."

Kor'jack looked up. The steps weren't even close to being high enough as it only reached up to three feet. "Oh. Well, I'm out of ideas…"

"It is too hot to climb and there does not see to be any visible way of getting up there." Clank's head tilted a bit in his thought.

"There has to be someway to get up there. Hmm…" Ratchet pondered. He also scanned the cave he was in and masses of Zoni junk around it. And the ol' Lombax instinct kicked in. "I know!"

Clank already had a sinking feeling. "You are going to build something out of this scrap?"

"Precisely! I'm thinking of an anti-gravity field generator."

"But Ratchet, you have never worked with Zoni technology before, how can you possibly expect to make one?"

"C'mon Clank, it can't be that hard." Ratchet pried off a plate from one piece and peered inside. "Whoa..." was all he could manage to say. Inside was a mass of light, metal, cables, gears, and more. There were no circuit boards or anything like that inside; instead it was all complex Microsystems of electricity and light.

"Well, it isn't the worst I've seen…"

"Have you ever seen an anti-gravity field generator?"

"Sure! My Megacorp ship had one to help it float in the air. I saw what it looked like when I was making the Gravometric Warp Drive."

"And do you know how to project it into a field?"

"Not really, no. But I'll wing it…"

* * *

A strong blast blew open the door of the Vault, leaving a huge hole even outside the hinges. Thanatos took his first step in, and looked around as he threw his cigar stub on the ground and stepped on it. "I hate the smell of trash, let alone Zoni trash." He turned back to his troops as he took another smoke out.

"Make sure you wrap those flashlights around tight boys, and why not bring some air fresheners too while we're at it…"

* * *

Ratchet continued to improvise his way into making the machine.

"Put this part there, and that part... there." Ratchet stood up and held the device in his hand. "There! Whaddya think, Clank?"

"Hmm." With a quick scan, he nodded and handed it back over to Ratchet. "We should consider testing it first though; we do not know how well it will function…"

"You did say that it looked good though?"

"Yes, but-"

"-Then it should be finAAAAH!"

Ratchet was lifted into the air as he started up the anti-gravity generator. A moment later, he found himself in a blue, round field of energy as the sphere made gravity push upwards for him. He looked down, spotting Clank and Kor'jack, who looked practically microscopic from his height.

"Ratchet, are you alright?!" Clank shouted up.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He chuckled. "Well, at least we know that it works…"

The Lombax then took sight of the Nexus Core and the button on top of it. "Ok, now if I could figure about how to travel in this thing…" Ratchet moved his feet to the side and touched the walls of the field with his hands. He started to move his legs like he was walking, trying to get closer to the Core.

"Just be careful fuzzy guy, it's a long trip down!"

"Don't worry, I will…"

And there he was, floating right above the Core's top, seeing the switch. "All right, I'm above it, just one problem - how do I get down to it? Only seems I could move left and right, not up and down."

Ratchet kept his eyes on it as he tried to figure out how to get to it. He pressed down inside the field with his feet moving him closer by every bit.

"Almost there…"

With a quick press of the button, the sound of the Core roared again.

"Got it!"

As he jumped up with joy; a small, yet powerful energy current pushed the Lombax a few feet away from the Core as well as breaking the field around him. He screamed as he fell to the ground while it shrunk in size.

Ratchet landed in a pile of junk a few steps away from Kor'jack and Clank. The two turned around and ran up to him.

"You should have been more careful Ratchet!" Clank spoke while the Agorian helped Ratchet up.

Down the Core went back to its portable state, the casing with it. It laid on its side with the three walking over to it.

"Well," Ratchet gave a small chuckle, rubbing his hands together. "That was easy, wasn't it?"

" _Define_ easy?" Kor'jack replied back, eyeing the Core once more. "So, what now?"

Clank tried to grab it carefully, hoping not to melt the metal off his hands. Once he touched it, it felt warm, but nowhere unbearable as it was before. It was a cooled heat, almost like what you would feel on a nice spring day.

"It is much cooler than it was before…"

Ratchet held a smile. "Enough for me to carry it?"

Clank nodded, and with that, the Lombax picked it up and held it against his side. "Well, we got what we needed; let's get out of here before-"

"Not so fast, kid…"

All three turned around after hearing the deep, rusty sounding voice.

Blocking their way was a legion of Lucirians, as well as a few of Lania's own robotic troops Ratchet was already used to. Standing right in front of the group was Thanatos, having a small smile on his mug with a small blaster out of his hand, aiming it at the heroes.

"Thanks for saving us the trouble with those traps, cut off an hour or two ahead as planned."

Ratchet rolled his eyes. "Of course there was going to be trouble."

"And I also see you got the Nexus Core for us too, _even_ better."

He walked closer to the Lombax as Ratchet took a step back, unsteadied by his appearance. If this is who cut him off from contact with Cronk and Zephyr, he knew something was up on the surface.

"And you are…?" Ratchet geared into his eyes far up from his level. It was not the first time he had asked this of a threatening stranger.

"Hmm?" Thanatos just gave a bit of a laugh. "Oh, me. I'm just a friend of someone you may know. Some scrawny phyto fish in a tank, forget who he's called. Cornelius Thanatos is the name; former high ranked commander of the Luciriains, general of Neoprine Empire militia and Empress Lania's leading man for getting things _done_ , rather than wasting time boosting one's ego. Guessing you're that pest she was going on about."

"Suppose this Lania person heard about me from Vorselon?" Ratchet asked.

"That was his name? Heh, it escaped me." Thanatos shrugged, and took his attention to the blue sphere in the Lombax's hands. "Now, why don't ya hand over the Core. Got a schedule that I need to keep up with…"

"You're going to have to reschedule, then," Ratchet quipped, "Because you can't just dance in and ask me that like I'm some delivery boy."

"Yeah, cute and all, but seriously; wasting my time is not something you want to do, kid. Hey, I may be nice enough to let you live if you stop being a little punk."

"Kinda doubt that you'll stay true to that…"

Thanatos frowned, losing his patience with the furball.

"Um, fuzzyguy, maybe we should just give it to him?" Kor'jack shivered as he looked at the Luciriain's face, knowing that it wouldn't end well.

"Kor'jack, relax, I got this under control." Ratchet looked back at Thanatos. "Sorry, but we got here first. You're going to have to plan your appointments earlier next time."

The older man didn't even hide how furious he was getting. "I don't like playing games, fuzzball, now hand it over!" Thanatos shouted at the top of his lungs, trying to hold in his anger (and a few curses along with it).

"Still not handing it over…"

"How's about I break it down simple for ya, since we seem to both be simple men. Give me the Core, and I'll riddle you with bullets. Refuse and I'll make sure to tear out your spine before I riddle you with bullets. Choose wisely, because one choice will-"

"Well, you never once said the 'magic word', you're suppose to when you want something," Ratchet was just being snarky at this point. "On second thought, nah, I'm gonna keep it."

"-be so much more fun for me." Thanatos finished.

All the enemy did was just glare in his green eyes, containing his irritation as his frown turned into a smile. "Alright then, your funeral. Men, watch the door of the Vault and don't let anyone inside. This shouldn't take long at all, likely a bleeder." His robotic hand returned back to normal as his troops left, pressing a few buttons on the side as his arm booted up with another weapon. Out came a blaster, bigger than the one he had out before as he grinned with delight. Thanatos charged up his blaster, as the Lombax readied for battle. "Begin in three... two..."

But he voided his word and shot at Ratchet anyway.

" _Whoa!"_ Ratchet leaped out of the way as he rolled on the floor before hitting the walls around him. His back slightly arched getting up slowly with the core still tightly in his hands. He took out his pistol, looking up with a smirk.

"Your timing is terrible…"

The piercing sound of Thanatos' blaster boosted up again, with another blast of power flying right at him.

Ratchet ducked and jumped every discharge coming at him, his acrobatics graceful and quick to the point his enemy couldn't keep up with him.

"Stay still, _damn_ it!"

He leaped right into the air, drumming Thanatos' left horn with his wrench, chipping it. Ratchet landed right on his feet as he turned his head around with a smile.

The Lucirian growled as he turned right around, about to fire another shot. "I got you no- _GAH_!"

A spark flew out from his mechanical arm, darting his eyes to the Lombax as the smoke from his Contructo Pistol flew in the atmosphere from its last use. Kor'jack and Clank right beside him, all three of them ran the opposite direction.

Thanatos aimed his weapon at them as they ran away, but nothing fired out. He tried a few more times but he quickly realised that his arm barely was able to move at all. His pupils widened in shock and anger. "Oh, you son of a-" He swiftly sprinted out of the room and down the caves...

* * *

Ratchet felt his heart pounding as he breathed in and out, barely even hearing Clank saying _'we are close to the exit'_ and Kor'jack's delirious shouting from the events happening as the troopers fired at them. He eyed the Core, safe and sound in his arms, then tilted his head back up as he saw the small point of light in the distance.

"We're almost there, c'mon!"

The lombax shot at every obstacle in his way, clearing the path for their escape. He hoped whatever was going up on the surface wouldn't be any worse than what's going on in the Vault. Otherwise, they had a problem...

Thanatos ran and climbed the cliffs above them as he tried to catch up. He finally had them in his sights, a malevolent smirk stretching across his face. "Bingo." He took one of his grenades from the strap around his shoulders and pulled the fuse with his teeth right before throwing it down.

As they were less than halfway to the exit, a huge _boom_ took them off guard and had the three flying to the nearest wall. Ratchet didn't even notice the Nexus Core rolling out of his hands. The Lombax opened his eyes, watching the dust clear as three silhouettes came walking out.

Thanatos stood proud and tall with a newly lit cigar and two of his Lucirian troopers beside him, as he picked up the Core by his feet. He took his smoke out of his mouth, blowing out the smolder with a smile. "Why thank you. Now, wouldn't it have been easier if you handed over earlier? As opposed to being a little punk. Yet again, I've dealt with my share of those..."

Ratchet just growled, giving him a glare.

"I have to admit fuzzball, you took me by surprise. I didn't expect a little pipsqueak like you were capable of putting up a fight like that." He gave out a small chuckle. "However, I had enough of playtime." One of his men handed over a massive gun, making any adjustments he had to thanks to his dysfunctional arm, as Thanatos took aim at the three.

"Crap…" Ratchet took out his gun and tried to fire it, only getting _clicks_. "Great, this just isn't my day."

Kor'jack shook as he held Clank in fear. "So-so what no-now?"

A beam came on the general's face. "Any last words?"

"Yeah, heads up." He threw his blaster right at one of his men, poking him in the eye.

"Ow!"

Thanatos just eyed the Lombax. "Well, I'll give you credit where it's due, you don't know when to quit. Still," He then put his hand on the trigger. "Stupid move…"

"Keep your head down, Rookie!"

 _ **BOOM!**_

Thanatos and his men flew to the walls near the entrance with rubble falling on them. The Core bounced right back to Ratchet, as he took grip of it.

"Well, thanks for the regift."

The huge man jumped out of the rocks and shifted his eyes to Cronk and Zephyr, having their blasters ready.

"What do ya think, Cronk? Toughest men we've ever faced?"

"Ehh, I think the mutant bathing sponges were worse."

Thanatos growled, as he turned to his men, furious. "Which one of you were watching them!?"

"Sir, we weren't tasked with th-AH!"

Two bullets flew their way, knocking both of them to the ground. The general turned around, seeing Ratchet holding a smile, pistol to his side.

"You _may_ want to think about hiring better subordinates. Your last ones don't seem that reliable."

"General Thanatos," A voice came from his comm radio, "Random soldiers just came out of nowhere and they're surprisingly well armed and in numbers. The Vullard's retaliated as well once they arrived. We're taking losses."

He picked it up. "How bad of losses?"

"Minor, but we're still getting hammered out here. Should we call for backup? We didn't expect a battlefield out here."

"You can't even _hold them off,_ you idiots?!" He grinded his teeth from irritation as he looked back at the rodent. "No, back off and retreat to the ship. We're done here." Thanatos then stormed right out the door with Ratchet quickly following after him.

Finally setting foot outside, he looked for the demon like alien until he heard the sound of engines, causing his ears to perk. Looking up, there was Thanatos, already on the ship as he looked down at the Lombax with enraged eyes. The door closed shut, flying right out into space. All Ratchet could do is sigh in relief.

"Hey Rookie, you alright?"

Ratchet tilted his head at Cronk, still breathing heavily. "Yeah, I'm fine. Good timing by the way."

Kor'jack glared at the sky before turning to the robots. "Is…is the settlement okay?"

"Oh, don't worry," Zephyr replied cheerfully, "We were able to contact Miss Apogee thanks to Cronk's talents of sending morse code when they weren't lookin' and she got the PDF here on the double. Everyone is in one piece with the town taking some minor damage, but it's alive and kicking…"

Ratchet eyed the ground, getting himself back together. "Well, can't say I'm not glad they choose to stay. Good news though, the Nexus Core is is safe and sound." He pat it before looking at the others. "Doubt they'll be returning anytime soon, so we can jet and head back home?"

"We'll be remaining with the defense force for a bit," Cronk replied, "Once we know the Vullards are alright, we'll head back as well…"

"Sounds like a plan. Should I tell Talwyn?"

"Don't worry about that, Rookie. We'll contact her."

"Alright, stay safe."

Ratchet watched the two warbots head out before turning back to Kor'jack. "I'm sure you're worried about everyone as well?"

"Yeah," Kor'jack sighed. "I'll...go back in a bit. Or not at all. Either way I'm in deep…"

"Kor'jack," Clank chirped.

"Huh?" The Agorian answered.

"Perhaps you can help us?"

"Wait, what?" Ratchet responded to Clank suggesting Kor'jack's help.

Clank ignored Ratchet's comment and continued to speak to the Agorian "It is obvious you do not wish to return back to the village and understand your hesitation. You have already helped us before, so perhaps you would be willing to aid us once again."

Before the lombax could even protest, Kor'jack responded...

"Yes, thank you I'd be glad to help, please let me help!"

...And of course after showing that eagerness, it wasn't right to turn him down. Not after using him to enter the Vault. Ratchet sighed.

"Well, he'll be more helpful than Qwark...I guess?"

"Ratchet!" The little robot shouted at his rudeness.

"What?"

"Though," Kor'jack rubbed the back of his neck, "Not sure what I can do? From the sound of things, it seems as if you're fighting something. And seeing your past action first hand…"

"I'm sure we can find you something that doesn't involve combat, Jack. We won't turn away help..."

Clank looked up to Ratchet, "With everyone else busy, I am sure Talwyn would appreciate someone tending to maintenance of the space station."

"Maintenance?" With a little thinking, the Agorian gave a small nod. "Yeah, I think I can help with that?"

"Alright then," Ratchet pointed to the direction of his ship, "We should head out then…"

"I am also going to attempt to contact Sigmund as well. If he was the one who send the Core here, then he may have an idea of why the empire wants their hands on it."

"It's worth a shot." All three of them walked back to the ship. Ratchet asked Clank whether they should close the door to the vault behind them, but Clank simply pointed to the remains of the door twenty feet away.

"Apehlion, take us home."

"Affirmative!"

And with that, they took off, setting a course for Apogee Space Station.

"Um fuzzy guy, I should warn you that I can get a bit…motion sick…"

"Aphelion," Ratchet asked, "How many sick bags do we have?"

"Twenty Baker's Dozens!"

"I think you'll be fine Kor'jack…"

 **-End Chapter Eight-**


	10. Chapter Nine: Jens Kallo's Day Off

_**A/N:** Sorry for the wait guys. Writers block is a bitch. I don't think I'm gonna be able to keep the whole 'update monthly/bi monthly' as much as I'd love to. Basically, chapters will come when they come. That being said: I only have 3-4 more chapters to rewrite, then we'll be off to brand new chapters and continue the story._

 _Thanks for baring with me over these years guys, it's appreciated. Anyways, enjoy chapter nine..._

 **-Chapter Nine: Jens Kallo's Day Off-**

" _You_ idiot!"

Lania threw her glass full of wine at Thanatos. He instinctively shielded himself with his newly fixed robotic arm as it shattered on impact, causing the liquid dripped down.

"I gave you a simple task, and yet you screwed it up!"

"This is my _first time_ screwing up, give me a break!"

The wine bottle flew right after. The Lucirian ducked this time around and responded to her with a snarl. By his side, Vorselon couldn't help but find amusement in all of it. He could barely keep himself together with how hard he was laughing.

"What's so funny, _fish tank_?!"

" _Nothing…_ " He gave a sly grin in response as he put his hands behind his back and tried to not burst out laughing again.

"And you thought it was a wise idea to just dart out of there?!"

"Hey, we were out numbered! The Fuzzball already got his hands on it before we did and you expect me to wait on reinforcements on a lost cause! Even an excellent commander such as myself can-"

"I don't expect excellence, I expect _perfection_!"

"Calm your OCD, tuts! Zoni forbid that I don't meet up to your high standards! Shit happens, babe; get use to it!"

Lania gave a snort. "I keep you around for one reason and you can't even do that much..." She was sure she heard him call her a slur under his breath but ignored it. She sat back down on her throne, holding her head as she sighed. "Well, the problem is going to escalate if we don't take care of it."

"M-my lady." Vorselon butted in.

"Yes, Flint?" The empress tried to remain calm as she responded, but there was still a tinge of frustration thanks to Thanatos. Hopefully he doesn't take ill will from it.

"Can I make a - _suggestion_?"

Lania raised an eyebrow with arms crossed. "Such as…?"

"Well, you know I have a past with the rodent, and he's not easily taken down."

"Well, no sh-" Thanatos interrupted as his associate glared at him. "Oh sorry, were you saying something, all I heard was how you got your 'head' handed to you? Most plankton could conceive better plans than you can, goldfish."

"Hush Thanatos, he may be onto something," Lania then eyed back at Vorselon with a smile. "Go on…"

"Well, there may be another way _other_ than brute force."

"Well, you know the enemy more than any of us do, so I'm all ears. What do you have in mind?"

"From what I've gathered lately, he's been pretty fragile emotionally, and being you seem into that sort of thing, I-"

"I think I get where you're coming from, Flint. So, you know what makes him tick?"

"An idea, yes…"

"Hmm." She pondered, and got right out of her chair. "We should discuss this in the debriefing room, more quiet and private. Thanatos, you're dismissed for now. Flint, come with me. If you have a plan, I want to hear the details."

Lania left the room. The Terraklon followed but before he could step outside the throne room, Thanatos yanked him by his cape and put his arms around him as he leaned down to his head level with a smile.

" _Hey_ Vorselon, _buddy ol' pal;_ words of advice for ya. I've got more to offer her than your puny little remains, and that applies to both the battlefield _and_ the bedroom."

Thanatos leaned in so close Vorselon could practically feel the heat coming from his cigar. "So you had better hope she won't find you _expendable_ on my part." He loosed his grip and gave him a hard pat on the back to drive the conversation home. "I'm glad we had this talk, you'd do well to remember it."

And with that, Thanatos took off the other way as Vorselon just watched him leave, annoyed.

"Dick…"

* * *

Flying into the station's garage, Aphelion docked and once she came to a stop, Ratchet jumped out. While Clank followed suit, they were then greeted by Talwyn

"Cronk and Zephyr contacted me that you were returning," she informed, hand on her hip. "So, any luck?"

Ratchet held the Nexus Core in his arms as he waved to her. "Mission was a success. We ran into a bit of trouble, but other than that, we have the Core safe and sound."

The last one coming out was Kor'jack, his balance shaky at best. "I don't feel so good, fuzzyguy…" He covered his mouth as his cheeks puckered out, running to the closest trash can or bathroom. Ratchet and Talwyn heard him throwing up in the other room as they cringed.

"You know Clank, _maybe_ it wasn't a good idea dragging Kor'jack along. I don't want to think what would happen when we take him home…" Ratchet looked back at Talwyn. "So, what's Nefarious up to? Did he find any more info?"

"I haven't really spoken to him since you guys left, but he's been…let's say _stressed_ with Qwark pestering him."

The Lombax just shook his head. "I'll try to get Qwark off his back, got to go talk to Gear Head anyways…"

* * *

"Hey, hey Nefarious?" Qwark's face was right in Nefarious' as he tried to work on the computer, eyes twitching. "Hey Herschel, what you doing? _Herschel..._ "

" _What?!_ " The robot yelled, finally losing his patience.

"I know we never had the best history and I wanted to apologize, _so_ I drew you a picture to say I'm sorry…"

Qwark lifted up his crayon drawing, showing him and Nefarious smiling while walking through a field of flowers on a sunny day. The robot just glared at it, apathetic.

"Yes, charming, is that all?" He went back to typing.

"You…you don't like my picture…?" A sniff escaped Qwark, as started to tear up.

"…No, now go away."

"Don't worry Qwark, I think it's a lovely picture." Jens gave a cheerful smile as she sat on the couch.

Nefarious rolled his eyes. " _Please_ don't encourage him. And where's my coffee?!"

"Do you _really_ have to yell?" She exclaimed.

"Let me think on that," He rubbed his chin in thought. "Yes. _Now_ go get me my coffee!"

"Okay, okay, _geez_ …" Jens bounced off the couch and walked across the room over to the coffee machine.

"I see you two are getting along just fine…"

Nefarious shifted his eyes to the side, seeing Ratchet approach along with Clank and Tawlyn. "Nice to see you weren't killed."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, nothing." He went back to work.

"Howdy Ratchet!" Jens yelled across the room where she was pouring two cups of joe. "How did the mission go?"

"It went fine Jens. How're you holding up?"

"Holdin', but it would be nice if _someone_ didn' keep yellin'." She walked over with the glasses while handing one to Nefarious and started to drink her own. "I still don' get how you can drink this stuff, yer a robot."

"That's _because_ this brand _is_ for robots. It's made of oil."

Jens literally spit it out once she heard the word mentioned. "What ya tryin' to do, kill me?!"

"Hey, you're the one that didn't read the label! Though, that wouldn't be a bad thing…" Nefarious smiled as he took a sip.

"Bless yer heart, Nef."

"Yeah, I'm sure feeling the lo-" His arm then popped out, causing him to drop his mug and the coffee spilled over the floor. " _This_ stupid _fu_ - _I can't_ even drink in peace now!?"

" _Anyways_ ," Ratchet interrupted. "Did you snatch any new info while we were away?"

"Oh, right," The robot spoke while he picked up his arm and put it back into place, "Sadly, no, nothing new. Still looking into a few news stories and radio waves that would help though, but otherwise you'll be sitting around for awhile until I figure out if they're worthwhile."

"Not the news we were hoping to hear."

"Hey, I've been working non-stop! Give me a day, maybe a half if we're lucky and I should have something soon."

"Well, in the meantime, Clank said he was going to call the Great Clock."

"Yes, I need to talk to Sigmund about the Nexus Core."

"Any idea how you're going to get in contact with him, the last time I checked, the Clock doesn't have tech support."

"I still have the single code from months ago, it is only a matter of being able to set up a secure link."

"It's something at least," Ratchet then turned over to Talwyn. "Hey Tal, you think you can put the Core somewhere safe?"

"Oh, sure." She took it from his hands and walked over to a safe.

Nefarious glared at her and the Core in her hands as he typed. He zoomed his eyes onto the lock knob, watching her turn it left to right putting in the right code, saving it in his mind. He couldn't help the hint of a malevolent grin he wore.

"I don' like the sight of that smile Nef. What you thinkin'?" Jens peeked over his shoulder right before he turned around.

"Mind your own business kid, you'll live longer…"

Ratchet looked over at Jens, who now was cleaning after Nefarious with the mop across the room. "Jens, why don't I take you out for a bit? Beats being stuck in here for all your time in this universe. I'm sure you wanted a tour anyways…"

Jens face lit up in excitement, not realising she dropped her mop. "I'd love to! But, don' you still have that empire thing to stop?"

"We have no lead right now with some downtime. A few hours won't destroy the universe. Well, hopefully."

Kor'jack entered the room; his pacing was still wobbly. "Um, fuzzyguy, I'm sorry, but I kinda made bit of a mess in the bath-" His words were cut off when he took notice of Jens. He just stared, not able to take his eye off her. His mouth dangled wide open and he swore he saw sparkles around her.

"Don't worry Jack; we'll take care of that." Ratchet said to him before turning around. He then noticed that the Agorian was frozen and spacing out. "Kor'jack?" He waved his hand in front of him. "Yoo-hoo, Kor'jack? Ground control to Kor'jack."

"She's cute…"

"Kor'jack, snap out of it!"

A quick slap to the Agorian's face brought him back to reality as he shook his head. "Wait, what, where? Huh?"

"You alright there, buddy?"

"Erm…yeah, I'm fine."

"Ratchet," Clank spoke, "If I can get in contact with Sigmund, it is possible he can give us more insight, and perhaps even a lead."

"Lets just hope. Anything is better than nothing." The lombax replied as the little robot left the room.

Talwyn sighed. "And I should probably clean up the bathroom. Have fun with Jens, Ratchet," she gave a small wave as she went out the door.

"Erm, let me help with that," Kor'jack followed, "I did cause the mess after all."

"Don't worry, we will!" Ratchet shouted over to Talwyn. He then turned his focus back back to the other girl. "You go get your stuff, I'll meet you out over by Aphelion."

"Yes! This is gonna be so much fun!" Jens ran out, leaving only Ratchet and Nefarious now.

"It's obvious he has a crush on her…"

"Huh?" Ratchet eyes' shifted to the side and he noticed Nefarious leaning over his shoulder, assuming that was where the whisper was coming from. "Who are we talking about again?"

"Your Agorian friend, you saw how he was eying the brat."

The Lombax just raised an eyebrow. " _And_ , you know this, _how_?"

"Hey," The robot got up proudly pointing to himself, "I didn't spend my breaks between evil plans watching soap operas for nothing; they teach you quite a lot about relationships!"

"I don't think watching _How the Gears Turn_ really classifies you as a love guru, Nefarious. Besides, you don't really have the best experience with romance."

"And _you_ do?"

"Seeing how I was once in a healthy relationship, I think I can back myself up on this one..."

He then leaned on the wall with crossed arms. " _Pff_ , fine, don't believe me, what _does_ an evilrobotic mastermind like myself know about _love_. I'm clearly _only_ capable of doom and gloom. The next thing we know is that you're gonna get involved in some ridiculous love triangle, but hey, why would I think that…?"

Ratchet just chuckled. "Yeah, I don't think so, pal…."

Nefarious just eyed him oddly. "Please don't tell me you have no idea what's going on with those two?"

"Wait, with whom now?"

"By _the_ Zoni, how could you be so bli-" the robot decided not to finish. Maybe it was better not to bring this up now. "Nevermind. Anyways, I should have something when you return but I make no promises."

Ratchet gave him a nod in response and headed out the door...

* * *

Aphelion flew through the skies of Igliak's atmosphere as Jens stared out the window. She stood up from her seat, unable to contain her excitement.

" _So_ , what's this city like anyways?"

"Miss Kallo, do you mind sitting back down, dear, just for your own safely?" Aphelion chirped.

"Oh, sorry." She sat back down and looked over to Ratchet who still kept his eyes out the window. "Thanks for takin' me out a bit, by the way."

"You're welcome. Meridian is just like any other city. Hopping with people, busy streets, a bustling nightlife..."

"I ain't got a clue what any city is like! I lived on that island my whole life."

"Heh, I guess you wouldn't then." The lombax returned his sight to the skies. It wasn't too long until he turned back to his passenger with a smile. "Hey, Jens?"

"Yeah?"

"I believe you want to take another look outside…" Ratchet said while banking the ship to give Jens a better view.

She looked out again pressing her hands on the window, watching the clouds clear as the skyscrapers peeked through.

And there it was, Meridian City. It shined with the sun raised above it, causing light to peek into the green windows. Cars were cruising fast though the skies travelling to their destinations as people down below walked down the streets, appearing as ants until they flew closer in. It was an amazing sight to behold. So much that Jens couldn't help but not stay put.

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh," She jumped up and down in the seat in excitement. "This… _this_ is even more amazin' that I thought it was going to be! Just… _wow_!"

"Miss Kallo, please?" Aphelion interrupted, "I have full control over the seat belts if it is at all necessary."

"Erm, yeah, right, sit back down…"

Ratchet pushed a few buttons on the dashboard before putting his hand back on the flight stick. "Aphelion, find a parking location in the Epsilon district."

"Searching now… location found..."

* * *

Aphelion gracefully descended down to a parking complex and into a spot on the roof. Nearby vehicles were also parked, each with a green barrier protecting them from thieves. They climbed out of Aphelion, and Ratchet reached into his pockets, taking out a few bolts and inserting them into the meter. Aphelion was then veiled with her own force field.

"You do know I am armed, Ratchet? It is doubtful anyone would attempt to steal me.

"Better safe than sorry. Anyways, we're gonna head over to Gerrach's. We'll be back soon Aphelion, you stay put."

"Not that I can go anywhere." Aphelion added as Jens and Ratchet started to stroll off. They approached an elevator and entered. It was already packed with other people, both organic and robots alike. One reading a newspaper greeted them with a ' _good afternoon_ ', with the lombax responded with the same in reply.

It was so surreal to see such advanced androids acting as if they were no different from the aliens she had never seen before, let alone coexisting with each other. Yet again, Nefarious _didn't really_ give the best first impression on how society functioned in this universe.

Jens was already use to the idea of seeing robots of this kind so she was able to hold back her excitement. Ratchet was thankful for that.

Once it reached their destination, the doors opened and everyone in the elevator walked out, returning to their day. Ratchet led Jens onto a walkway made almost entirely of glass, Perspex, and other transparent materials.

"So what's Gerrach's?" She asked.

"Gerrach's is that large building over there." Ratchet pointed to a nearby building that was hard to miss. It was easily over twenty stories tall and shaped like a wedding cake. Its walls were covered in holographic ads, selling anything from Vintage Z-3000 Hoverboards to Anti-Jock repellent for Terachnoids.

"It's one of the largest department stores in the Polaris galaxy," Ratchet continued, "due in no small part to Tachyon crushing most of them when he was running the rest of Polaris. If you can't find something here, it's probably illegal."

"I thought most of the stuff you made was illegal?" Jens said gazing at the sight of the city in front of her in awe. She still couldn't get over the fact what she was seeing this all with her very own eyes. She was so mesmerized she didn't even hear a word that Ratchet was telling her.

"Jens? Jens!"

"Oh, sorry. It's just-"

She looked ahead and saw a dead end with a raised grey disc that appeared to come out of the floor.

"Why'd we stop?" She crossed her arms until five seconds later when she heard a _zap_ following a flash of light. The next time she blinked, she found herself in a new location. "Huh, what, _where?!_ "

"That was a teleporter." Ratchet said, smiling. "It just took us to the main hub. So, ready to go shopping? "

"Shoppin'?"

"I thought you would like to bring back a souvenir or two."

Jens stood there, grinning.

"This is the best day _ever_!"

* * *

Ratchet and Jens looked around the department store for gadgets and tools that she wanted to take back home as souvenirs. It was a matter of time before they found themselves in the weapons department…

"So what's this one?" Jens spoke to the dealer as she held one of the weapons, a brightly coloured crossbow.

"That's our new Shockbow, a derivative of the Plasma Striker, or at least with a similar design!" The GrummelNet salesman said from behind the counter. "It releases an electric bolt onto enemies, and depending on how long you hold the trigger, the shot will travel farther and hit harder! You can also set the power manually, perfect for those who like to cook their opponents before eating them!"

"Whaddya think Ratchet, does it fit me?"

"Well, yeah, but are you sure you can handle it? Have you even used powerful artillery before?"

" _Please_ ," She replied to the Lombax as she started pulling on the lever, "I'm not goin' to do somethin'-" The gun made a loud bang, and an arrow started bouncing all around the room once she released it before hitting the gun rack as the Grummel ducked.

"- _Erm_ , stupid…"

The salesman peeked up from the counter and finally got himself together. "That would be the refractal feature I forgot to mention. You may want to keep the safety on, kid…"

"Oops…"

Ratchet sighed. "I'll pay for the damage. At some point." He added.

"It's alright chief," The salesman said calmly, "You're a valued and loyal customer of GrummelNet, and we appreciate you introducing others to our, well, clearly effective products."

"So, how much?" The girl asked, still embarrassed.

"Costs twenty-thousand bolts."

"Erk, I don't have that much. Have anythin' cheaper that does a similar job?"

"Well, I have this one here." The vendor pulled out another Shockbow from under the desk that had some external damage on the bottom. "This one is in need of repair due to a leaking Nanomite canister, but I can sell it to you for, let's see… five-thousand bolts."

" _Psst_ , Ratchet," Jens whispered over to her friend, "What does it mean when it has a leaky Nanomite whatsit?"

"It means you can't upgrade it."

"Oh." Jens took a moment to consider. "It ain't a big deal to me. It's in my price range..."

"You got a deal!" Within the few minutes; it was rung up, payed for and handed over. Jens was trying hard not to make a scene and squeal out throughout the store.

"I can't wait to try this baby out!" She exclaimed, hugging it extensively.

"Just make sure you test it out in a _safe environment_ ," The salesmen added with a nervous chuckle...

* * *

Jens hands were full of shopping bags carrying the items she'd purchased: her Shockbow, some trinkets and even a new gear for Nefarious. The poor guy broke down again when Qwark was testing his limits. Shouting out his name in frustration just had him screaming out the middle of Qwark's name. And it kept going. _And going_ before Talwyn finally gave him a good hard smack in the head to get him functional again.

Even if not grateful for the gift, at least Nefarious would be in one piece again. Well, mostly…

The girl gave Ratchet a small smile, "I had a lot of fun today, ya know," They both then found a bench not too far from the store exit. Nearby was a fountain, which they watched as they took time to relax from their day of shopping; basking in the sun as it shined down on them. "Are there more cities like this in your universe?"

"Many, but Meridian City is the capital of Polaris."

"Well, if they're anythin' like this one, I can' imagine..."

"Maybe if we get a chance to have more down time, we'll visit one of them. They all have their own perks that stand out from each other."

There was a bit of silence between time for a while. Ratchet thought to himself, thinking this would be the right time to bring up what Jens did in order to get to their dimension to begin with…

"Jens, about what happened back on that beach? You know what you did was wrong, right?"

"Hmm," The young girl was confused. "What yer goin' on about?"

"The fact you snuck onto Aphelion when we weren't looking. I know you wanted to come with us but-"

"Ya already said no the first time around and it wasn' like you were gonna let me come otherwise. And to be here now…"

There was no doubt that she was frustrated and peeved from her tone. It wasn't something she wanted to hear, but she needed to.

"I know Jens, but you could have put yourself in danger. I mean, yeah, we're glad for your help now, but you can't just do something like that."

"So it wasn' the wisest a' decisions, yeah, but it's not like you didn' need the help, right? Besides, it wasn' like you couldn' take me back home if you wanted to…"

Ratchet just sighed. It was obvious she wasn't going to take responsibility for her actions and from how she was trying to 'justify' it, she felt she was in the right.

"Still wasn't okay, Jens, regardless if we could use the extra help."

"I thought you were happy t' have me here! I thought that's why you su'jested goin' out?"

"That was so I could have a chance to talk to you alone. You need to realize what you did could have put us all in danger!"

The girl let out a huff. His change of tone took Jens by surprise, and she didn't like it one bit. Sure, Ratchet had a point, but still; she wouldn't have had this opportunity otherwise.

"Maybe, but I don' regret it…"

He could argue about this all day, but there was no point if she wasn't going to listen. Stubborn as she was, Ratchet decided to drop the issue for now. Hopefully she wouldn't make the same mistake again.

He shook his head. "One of these days Jens, you're gonna have to take responsibility for your actions. Otherwise." The lombax then got up from the bench and stretched his arms, "Anyways, we should get going."

"Oh, right!" Jens swiftly got up, "Ya think Nef found somethin' by now?"

"Maybe with luck. I don't know how much more time we can afford to sit around."

"Didn' you say Clank was lookin' into somethin' too? Either way, you'll have somethin', right?"

"Yeah, guess you're right."

The two walked back to Aphelion. Jens was swinging her bags around cheerfully and she didn't notice the gear the two bought for Nefarious fell right out of one of the smaller ones...

* * *

Murka ran through the hallways holding files and other materials that were needed over at her destination. She stared down at the floor lost in thought. However, she was forced to come to a stop when she bumped into someone.

Not a second went by before she found herself lifted by the collar, causing her to lose hold of her things.

"Well, well, well, ain't it little Murka." Thanatos grinned as he mocked her, while Murka fought against his grip, "Thought I smelled a brat."

"Seriously?! Don't you have anything better to do, Thanatos?"

"Oh, what's the matter? Ain't in the mood to play?"

Murka growled in annoyance. "If you don't let go of me right now, I'm going to kick your-"

"Kid, I'm bigger and stronger than you, any threats you throw at me ain't gonna scare me." He dropped her and she fell to the ground. He took out his cigar box and grabbed one before putting it between his teeth. "Seriously, ya gotta start acting your age. Maybe show some respect."

Murka got back up, still irritated. "Oh, _how_ could _I_ forget to respect my _Elders_ , General…"

He growled. Thanatos hated how this brat _implied_ he was old. Apparently everyone seemed to forget that being _over five-thousand_ wasn't 'old' for his species (uh-huh, keep thinking that buddy)…

" _You're lucky_ that you're Lania's pet, or I'd rip your spine out about now…"

"You're just jealous I'm cute enough to keep as a pet."

"Uh-huh, whatever kid." Thanatos lit his cigar and inhaled.

"And speaking of Empress Lania, she asked me to call you to the throne room if I happened to bump into you. What luck."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get it. Guess her _boy toy_ already laid out that plan."

"Hey, at least Mr. Vorselon shows Lania respe-" Thanatos interrupted her by pushing her to the ground as he started to walk the other way.

"You better stop yapping before I take back the ripping you apart comment."

She got back up on her feet. "Just make sure you don't put your back out, grandpa!"

He rolled his eyes, but also tightening the fist of his robotic arm. _One of these days..._

* * *

Thanatos' pushed open the doors to the throne room, seeing Lania and Vorselon across the room. "I believe you called me in…"

Lania looked up at him. "Yes, I did in fact." She crossed her legs and sat back in her chair. "Flint and I already thought of a plan to attack our threat directly, as well as getting the Core back. We decided that you-"

"Only you did…" Vorselon interrupted arms crossed, pouting.

"Flint, I already told you, I need you here for the second phase, and you know that."

"Yes, love…"

"Trust me Flint; I know what I'm doing." She turned back over to the Lucirian. "Anyways, we thought it was best that you would handle the infiltration part of the plan. We'll handle the rest."

"Alright," Thanatos stretched his arms up in the air, waiting for the rest of the details. "So, when do you want me to head out?"

"Take a few hours to get your best men together, I will send the rest of the information to your quarters. Hopefully you'll consider taking a _full_ army this time around…"

"Lania, are we still harping on that? Damn, I screw up once and you're up in arms about it."

Lania just glared at him, not taking his comment lightly.

"Ugh, fine, I get it. I won't fail you this time." He headed out, slamming the doors.

Vorselon looked up to Lania, playing with his mechanical thumbs. "Permission to speak, my lady?"

"Permission granted, what is it?"

"Erm, I know you most likely won't like what I'm going to say, but – are you sure he can be trusted?"

"Trust me, if he screws up, I-"

"No, I mean in the way he's behaving. He shows absolutely no respect for you, let alone any discipline. Are you sure having trust in him is the wisest of decisions?"

"Thanatos never respected me, but he isn't stupid. He knows his place and I have an army at my beck and call and he damn well knows it." She put on a smile. "But I understand your concern. Still, that doesn't mean I don't have my limits…"

"Even if you dealt with this behavior for years, I don't understand why you just don't replace him? You must have other generals that are just as qualified."

She swiftly got up. "I have my reasons."

He took notice of her change of expression, bearing a sense of disarray as she seemed to get her thoughts together. Something was bothering her, but he knew his place to not ask what. Still...

"I-just be careful, my lady. Men like that cannot be trusted..."

"I never said you had to be friends with him, Flint. But trust me, I have precautions in place just in case. Regardless, I'm heading to bed, is there anything else you need to address?"

"No, my lady."

"Alright. I'll see you in the morning."

"See you in the morning, love." He said with a smile and a wave as she just looked at him before leaving the room.

She started to walk down the hallways until she was far enough from anywhere her _'boyfriend'_ would be. She leaned on a pillar as she put her hand on her face in disgust.

"Lania, what are you doing?" she hissed to herself, "I don't know how much longer I can keep this up. Not to mention his snappy crap…"

"Haha, snappy crap. So jarhead giving you a hard time?"

"No, but I'm not sure how much I can keep this act-" Lania stopped and her eyes widened in shock as the realization set in that she was no longer alone. She turned around and saw Thanatos with his arms crossed, leaning on the wall. "Cornelius?"

"Act, huh" He gave a dark small laugh. "I knew walking aquariums weren't your type."

But you-…How long were you even standing there?!"

"Oh, not long, was coming down this way until I heard you walking by. So, you're _not really_ going out?"

"Firstly, this has nothing to do with you! Second, this isn't doubling your chances with me so you better get that thought your head!"

"So you-" He just took a long look at her face, seeing the rage in her eyes. "Still, knew something was up with you. Never thought you'd be the type to play someone by faking you'd hit that, but considering how dumb he seems, he'd fall for it."

"Flint...Flint had feelings for me since I brought him on, I could tell. I'm taking advantage of that, despite how wrong it may be. He's a gun for hire and wouldn't have any loyalty to me otherwise…"

"Lania, please; you've manipulated people before, don't see how this ain't no different."

"Unlike you, I don't take pleasure in what I must do."

"Yeah, sure, whatever makes you sleep at night, babe." He put another cigar in his mouth. "Boy, I _can't_ wait to see this blow up in your fac-"

Lania pulled him down by the collar to her head level; grinding her teeth. " _If_ you tell Flint or anyone else about this, I _swear_ Cornelius, I swear to the death of me, I will _tear_ your robotic arm off and then _shove_ it right up your -!"

"You know I'd like that…"

She couldn't even bother hiding her disgust.

"He's going to find out sooner or later, ya know?"

"And until then, you better keep your mouth shut!" She let go of his shirt and took a step back.

"Alright, I get it, I get it. I'll zip it." Thanatos turned his back to her and started to walk away, "Besides, I'll enjoy the look on his face once he learns the truth. That alone is the price of admission." A grim cackle came out after, finding amusement.

Lania just watched him leave before turning the other way, heading to her quarters. As she closed her door, she thought of how difficult the politics of her Empire had become. Even if she had him wrapped around her finger without it, manipulating Vorselon was helpful to keeping him loyal to her beyond the usual call of duty, and if he found out she would lose an ally and gain an opponent in a single moment.

And Thanatos was already a confusing mess. He behaved less like a dedicated commander of her army and more like a rogue killer. Lania didn't feel entirely sure that he would stay loyal for much longer, were it not for the one thread that kept him in line.

The only person she felt was entirely faithful to her was Murka, who was nothing but a daughter to her. Perhaps she should be very appreciative of that, but instead she worried if she was putting her in danger…

These thoughts wallowed and swayed in her head as she switched the light off.


	11. Chapter Ten: Ranvier's Madhouse

_**UPDATE 2/27/2018: SHIT IF FORGOT TO MENTION that I'm changing Lania's empire name to just simply 'The Empire' (it makes sense in context but I ain't telling you why because SPOILERS) being I wasn't happy with the old name. I'm going to fix this in the earlier chapters once all the rewrites are done but for now...I have nothing more to add to the matter...**_

 _ **But yeah.**_

 ** _A/N:_ **_Hey guys! I'm so sorry this chapter took as long as it did. I was basically rewriting it from scratch which is why it took longer to work on plus add life on top of it for both me and my beta: Yeah._

 _But it's worth it and boy, it's SO MUCH BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL THANK GOODNESS!_

 _Anyways, do enjoy this chapter. Hoping the last two rewrites won't take as long..._

 **-Chapter Ten, Ranvier's Madhouse-**

Talwyn typed the code that Clank gave her onto the keyboard. She nodded to the little robot beside her. "Well, let's hope this works."

"Codec entered. Attempting connection with the Great Clock..." the computer relayed.

A few rings and beeps followed until they heard sounds of distorted music and sound effects on the other end. _"Ugh, stupid boss…"_

"Sigmund," Clank politely called out, "Can you hear me, Sigmund?"

 _ **"Whuh?!"**_ It sounded as if the trash bot literally lost his composure; judging by loud _thump_ heard on the other end. _"Oops, heheh... Clank?"_ Sigmund's curiosity piqued after hearing a similar voice. _"Sir, is that you?"_

"Yes, it is me Sigmund."

" _Sir!"_ Sigmund lightened up with excitement, _"It_ _ **is**_ _you! Boy, I haven't heard from you in months!"_

"It is good to hear your voice again as well, Sigmund. How is everything at the Clock?"

" _Pretty swell. We managed to fix up most of the damage that was caused by Nefarious and General Azimuth, and everything is back in order. Though,"_ His tone changed to a more considered one, _"I'm getting the feeling you didn't just call to say hi?"_

"Yes, in fact, I have rather important matters to discuss. Do you have a moment?"

 _"Sure, hold on a sec."_ There was a brief pause of the music and the sound of plastic fumbling about. _"Okay, here! Sorry about that, just had to pause my game."_

" _Senior Caretaker to Solana Terminal 6,"_ said a voice in the background of the Clock.

 _"Er, nevermind, what was it you wanted?"_

"Well, Ratchet and I were on Lumos not too long ago, and we happened to come across something called the Nexus Core and I tho-"

" _Th-the Nexus Core?!"_ Sigmund was in a panic, _"Where did you hear about that?!"_

"One of the caretakers of the Obsidian Vault we spoke to told us that you were in the area."

" _Yeah, I was there to make sure the Core was secured. But, I don't fully understand why this would interest you, sir."_

"Well," Clank continued. "I am assuming you know about those trying to get their hands on it. They broke into the Vault and tried to steal it and they almost succeeded. It was no longer safe there and we took it here to the station for safekeeping."

" _ **What?!**_ _They got past the Vault's security?"_ Sigmund shouted as he jumped up from the floor a little before quickly regaining his composure again... _"But, yeah, I can see why you called. I recall the Zoni saying that this was not the first time someone had tried to get their hands on one of our Nexus Cores."_

"You mean there are more of them?"

" _Yes sir, they're what power some of the most advanced Zoni machinery. The Great Clock, IRIS, you name it. I guess you can say it's a really powerful battery. In fact, we just changed one a few weeks ago. That info may have leaked out somehow."_

"But why would they have use for a dead battery?"

" _Not completely dead sir. In theory, they still would have just enough juice stored up to run IRIS for a month or two. Hence why we put it in the Vault. We have to change the Clock's every ten-thousand years. Protocol. If a Core dies out too early, the results would be catastrophic! The Clock is too important to let that happen!"_

"If they're really that powerful and they can fall into the wrong hands, why can't you just destroy them? Wouldn't that be easier?" Talwyn butted in.

" _GAH_ ," the trash bot almost tripped over in panic, "Confidential information has been comp-!"

"It is alright, Sigmund, Talwyn can be trusted…"

Sigmund calmed himself but there was still a tinge of fear in his voice, _"If you say so, but-"_ he took in a breather before continuing, _" But, no, they can't be disposed of conventionally. Destroying a Nexus Core would be like releasing a supernova if you're not careful, and we just don't have the facilities for that."_

"I see," Clank thought for a second. "But, why would they want a Nexus Core in the first place? Surely there is nothing they have that could require such a powerful energy source. There must be a more easily obtained alternative."

" _Beats me. All I know is that its potential is why the staff was asked to keep it in the deepest parts of the Vault to begin with. But like I said, it's basically a powerful battery. Maybe they need it to power up something that conventional power sources can't."_ Sigmund sighed. _"Sorry I can't be of any more help, sir, but it is a good thing you called to begin with, because we're having another problem; and it may just be connected to those who want the Core."_

"How so?"

" _Well, Zoni have been dropping in numbers all across the universe lately, and we have no clue why. Almost a quarter here at the Clock are missing. I can't prove if they're linked, but with everything else going on…"_

"Hmm," The little robot rubbed his chin before speaking again. "We shall look into it. I will speak to Ratchet about it once he gets back."

" _If you can, that would be great! It would be catastrophic if I abandoned my duties to go investigate what's happening outside the Clock."_

"You have been a great help Sigmund, thank you."

" _No problem sir. But if you find anything about the missing Zoni…"_

"Do not worry. We will inform you once something comes up."

" _Alright, stay safe out there sir!"_

"Same to you, Sigmund." Clank then severed the connection before looking over to Talwyn, "I do hope Ratchet returns soon. If the Zoni are involved in this in anyway, we-"

" _Ahem!_ "

The two turned around. Talwyn let out an annoyed sigh. "How long were you standing there, Nefarious?"

"Oh, _Zoni forbid_ I happen to be in the _same_ room as you when you conduct an important call…"

"You don't have the best track record of not overhearing something and using it it to your advantage." She crossed her arms, "Unless you can convince me otherwise?"

"What, about the Clock?" Nefarious gave a snort in reply as he rolled his eyes. " _Please_ , I'm over that thing. I already wasted years of my life on that only to have it ruined by your lot. Not going through that _again!_ Besides," he leaned back on the wall, "I have other plans in the works."

"You should be careful about broadcasting your diabolical plans in front of those who have the PDF on speed dial," There was a smug smile across Talwyn's face as she waited for him to challenge her. If he could.

"Oh, blackmail? Your idea or Ratchet's?"

"I'm not taking any chances."

"Ah, so it was yours? Sure your _boyfriend_ wouldn't approve of that, Apogee."

All Clank could do in response was shake his head in frustration, "Talwyn, I understand your distrust, but Nefarious is on our side."

"Please don't tell me _you_ trust him?"

"Regardless of whether or not I do, we all need to work together. If we are hostile to each other it will only damper things," He then turned to Nefarious, "This applies to you as well."

"Relax, I'll play nice," The scientist glared daggers at the Markizian before turning back to the other robot, "I suppose you'd want to see if I can sniff out anything about the Zoni?"

"If you can, yes; it would be appreciated."

"Alright, I'll see what I can-" He was cut short when Ratchet and Jens entered the room.

"Hey, Ratchet," Talwyn chirped, her mood immediately improved by the Lombax's presence, "Have fun?"

"Yeah, we did," Ratchet said as Jens put her bags down. He turned his attention to Clank, "Any luck?"

"I was able to contact Sigmund. He did not give us much in terms of a lead but he mentioned something is wrong with the Zoni."

"With the Zoni?" Ratchet's right ear rose out of curiosity. "That can't be a coincidence, can it?"

"Sigmund had a similar thought."

"Did he mention anything else?"

"Nothing that would help us know where to go next."

The lombax sighed. "We're back to square one, then?"

" _Well,"_ Nefarious butted in, "I don't mean to brag, but _I_ may have found something while you were out."

"You did?"

"Yeah, I-"

"Hm, that's odd?"

They turned around to Jens as she was digging deeper into her shopping bags. "What is?"

"I'm tryin' to look for tha' gear we bought for Nefarious but can' find it anywhere?"

"A _gear_?" He glared down at Ratchet as he pointed at Jens, "She better keep her _squishie_ paws ten feet away from me with that thing!"

"Maybe it's back in Aphelion," the lombax ignored the robot's comment as he addressed her, "it's possible it could have fallen out."

"I'll check, be right back," Jens darted down the hallway to the garage.

"...I'm _serious_ you know," Nefarious continued, "I'm already making sure my lasers are fully charged."

"Relax Nefarious, Jens isn't going anywhere near your machinery," Ratchet assured him, "Didn't you say you found something?"

"Oh, yeah, right," The scientist walked over to the major computer in the room and brought up the main screen, "I was searching the Holonet when something caught my eye. May not be much, but it's something, right?" Nefarious pressed a few buttons and popped up a video.

" _-in other news, one of Pollyx Industries' top scientists, Dr. Aine Aldebaran, is still missing since the attack on her apartment in Axiom City two days ago._

" _The Markazian quantum physicist, known to be one of the younger and non-Terachnoid scientists to be working for the company, was recently moved to a branch working on an ongoing 'top secret' project that CEO Pollyx claimed to be the 'advancement of a lifetime' but refused to share anymore details other than the fact it has been ongoing for several years now._

" _Her disappearance happened not too long after an attack on their headquarters where the research was being held._

" _The Galactic Authorities are trying to put together whether these events are connected to each due to their close proximity or just a coincidence. All work on the project has been put on lockdown until the situation is resolved."_

The robot paused the video and turned over to Ratchet. "Not saying there's a connection, but considering Pollyx Industries works with Zoni technology, it may be the place to start."

The lombax let out a sigh, "Even if it's not connected, it's worth checking out. You don't think Pollyx is working with The Empire, right?"

"Why are you asking me?" Nefarious's demeanour changed once realization clicked, " _Oh_ , just because I _happened_ to have teamed up with _that_ freak, it means I know the guy personally? It's been four months since we spoke, how the _hell_ would I know?!"

"Take it easy Nefarious, I'm just thinking out loud."

Nefarious let out a huff, "Anything is possible. But I'm putting my bolts down and betting It's not the case. Why would they attack a Pollyx lab if they're working together let, alone steal one of their scientists if they had a partnership?"

"A deal gone bad?"

He struggled "Perhaps. Either way, there's your lead. Hope it helps."

"Hey, Talwyn?!" All of them turned toward Kor'jack, carrying a few boxes stacked one atop another and blocking his face, "Where do you want me to put these?"

"Just put them down anywhere, Jack," she responded.

"Alright," the agorian laid them down and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "What was in those anyways?"

"Oh no!" Jens sprinted back from down the hallway and into the room.

"What's wrong Jens?" Ratchet asked.

She let out a few huffs before elaborating, "I just searched all over Aphelion and I...I could'n find the gear anywhere." The girl then covered her mouth as she gasped with realization, "I was swingin' the bags! Maybe it dropped out?"

"Oh, _too bad_ for me then, isn't it?" Nefarious didn't bother hiding his snark.

"Well, _geez_ , could at least act like the thought count."

"Pff, I don't need your charity."

She made a frustrated groan. "I can' believe I lost a _three inch diameter helixical gear!_ " Jens buried her face into her hands.

As the two were arguing, Kor'jack took out a piece of wood and a carving knife from his pocket and started scalping something.

"Oh _boo hoo_ , you're careless. Anyone surprised by _that_ one?!"

"Well, ain' my problem if you break down again then, ain' it?"

"Um, excuse me," The Agorian interrupted, "I-I'm sorry to butt in, but," In the palm of his hand, he presented a wooden gear. "It's not much, but it'll work, right? At least temporarily."

"Wow," Jens snatched it out of hands to take a better look, "This is amazin'! You made this yerself?"

"Hey," Ratchet added, "Didn't know you sculpted."

"Um, yeah. It's a hobby of mine when I'm not working, you know," Kor'jack scratched the back of his head nervously.

"So, what ya think Nef?" The girl asked with a cheeky smile as the scientist stared her down.

"Great, nature in my gears. Just what I needed." He sighed. "Yeah, sure, it'll work; but I'm installing it _myself_!"

"Sure thing," Jens then returned her focus to Kor'jack, "Oh! I don' believe we've met? I'm Jens," She followed her statement with an outstretched hand.

"Oh, um," The Agorian took and shook her hand, "It's Kor'jack."

"Well, nice to meet ya, Jack!" A few seconds went by and he was still gripping her hand. "Um, Jack, I think you can let go now?"

"Oh! Sorry about that," He let go of her hand and took a step back, embarrassed. Jens just let out a light chuckle.

"Hey Ratchet," The girl ran over to her bags and took out her Shockbow. "Ya have a shootin' range? Wanna test this baby out!"

"You got her a _weapon_?" Nefarious snorted as he looked down at the Lombax, "Well, this should be fun."

"No one asked you, Gear Head!"

Talwyn let out a sigh and pointed to the direction of the hallway, "Take a left at the next corner and then a right."

"Thanks, Tal!"

As the girl dashed out of the room and down the hallway, Talwyn noticed Ratchet's nervous expression. She let out a laugh. "Don't worry Ratchet, I'll watch her. Don't want her to break anything either," The Markazian then left the room herself and followed Jens. This left the men alone in the room.

"Anyways," Ratchet looked down at Clank, "We should get going."

"Wait!"

Before they could leave, they paused and turned over to Kor'jack. "What's wrong, Jack?"

"Well, um," He played around with his thumbs nervously, "Well, erm, I…" He then took a breather before continuing. "This is gonna sound strange coming out of me, I'm sure, but, well, um..I'd like to help you guys out."

"Aren't you already helping us out?"

"No! I mean, I want to help you out on your mission! Like, help you find the bad guy!"

Ratchet raised an eyebrow. Yeah, that was strange coming out of Kor'jack. "I thought you wanted nothing to do with fighting?"

"Yeah, well, I changed my mind," He straightened his back and attempted to look intimidating. Nefarious had to fight back a laugh at how pathetic the agorian was, pretending to be tough.

"And why's that?"

Kor'jack's muscles tightened from that question. "Um, well… no real reason! Just because!"

" _Because_ …?" Ratchet wasn't buying the sudden change of heart. "There has to be a reason, right?"

"Erm, I'm horrible at making excuses," He released a drawn out sigh. "So, you know that girl, Jens?"

"Yeah, she was here not too long ago," The lombax knew he shouldn't be so snarky but couldn't help himself, "What about Jens?" Ratchet already had an idea where he was going with this.

"Well, um, well...I may, kind of, _like_ her?"

"She grows on you."

"No, I mean, _really_ like her."

"Ha!" Nefarious pointed right at Ratchet, "Called it!"

Ratchet just rolled his eyes, "Congrats Nefarious, you want a medal?"

"I'd like mine in gold and embedded with the words 'I'm smarter than all of you Squishies', _thank you_ very much."

Clank shook his head and looked up at Kor'jack, "I do not see why helping us has anything to do with Jens."

"But don't girls like men who are brave and strong?!"

"So the only reason why you want to come with us, Jack, is because you want to impress a girl? Kinda vain, don't you think?"

"Yeah, it may be a little selfish, but even you said that I'm a wuss for an Agorian, and I-I'd like to prove everyone wrong!"

"Well, at least you know you're being selfish," Ratchet added.

"But to be honest, I'd think I could do a lot more than just lifting heavy objects and cleaning toilets."

"It's possible we may see some action."

"I thought that was your typical day?"

The Lombax sighed. "Alright. But just be careful. We haven't got a clue what we're dealing with yet. That and...please don't throw up in my ship. I won't hear the end of it from Aphelion." He then looked down at Clank, "You guys go ahead, I'll be right out."

Clank responded with a nod and left the room with Kor'jack following after.

"I called it, you know." Nefarious said with a smug grin on his face.

Ratchet threw a smile back as he started to follow the others. "Most likely dumb luck, _Herschel_. _Just_ dumb luck."

The robot's eye started to twitch as he watched him walk out, "Shut up…"

* * *

They traveled through the dreary, rainy skies of Axiom City. Clank suggested the idea of checking out Aine's apartment first. If The Empire's soldiers kidnapped her at home, it was possible they could have left behind clues.

Aphelion gracefully landed on the pavement right outside of her apartment. A Pollyx representative was supposed to meet them there and hopefully, they could give them some answers.

Ratchet exited his ship and started walking in the direction of the building with the other two following. A smile stretched across his face when he noticed who it was waiting for them, speaking with a few representatives from the Polaris Defense Force.

"Jarvis?"

The Terachnoid turned after hearing his voice and jumped up as if he saw a ghost. "Ratchet?! What are _you_ doing here?!"

"Oh, you know: Hero work. I'm assuming you're supposed to be the representative Pollyx sent?"

"And _of course_ they would leave out _that_ detail," Jarvis said under his breath but was very sure Ratchet overheard him from the look on his face. "I swear this has to be Pollyx's way of get back at me for helping you and Azimuth."

"Worried there's gonna be trouble?"

"If it's you, there's _always_ trouble." He let out a sigh. "Still, we got your message about you wanting to investigate Aldebaran. Not sure if I want to ask why."

"We think there may be a connection between her and a threat we've been following."

"Hm," there was no doubt that the terachnoid's curiosity was piqued but he didn't bother following up with another question. He tilted his head to the direction of the apartment complex signaling them to follow him. Once they got out of the rain and into the building, Jarvis asked, "So, I see Azimuth isn't with you. He's not a part of this? Hope he's staying out of trouble at least."

Ratchet stopped in his tracks. "Alister...Alister is no longer with us."

Jarvis turned to face him with a small frown. "I see. I didn't hear about that. Sorry for your loss."

"It's been hard, but he died a hero."

"If you say so."

They continued walking up the stairs until they got to the floor of Aldebaran's apartment. Ratchet took notice of the wide open door and PDF officer standing outside blocking it. Jarvis looked up at him and showed him a badge for Pollyx Industries. "We have clearance to enter."

The officer gave a nod and then got out of the way to let them pass. The four stepped foot in the apartment and the first thing that caught their eye was how trashed the place was. Broken glass, furniture all over the place. It was a mess.

"Seems like she put up a fight."

"Heh, she always came across as resilient."

"So," Clank broke his silence, "How respected was Aine Aldebaran?"

"As respected as any non-terachnoid with some status would be on Terachnos. She's a bright kid and has quite the clout in the business, even if Pollyx will never admit it. You know how us terachonids can be xenophobic towards the lesser species." Jarvis turned back around and noticed the angry stares coming from Ratchet and Kor'jack. " _Um_ , no offense."

Ratchet let out a sigh, reminding himself of his priorities. "None taken." _No, some taken. But at least he's self aware enough to catch himself_. "Do you have any idea why anyone would kidnap her?"

"Heh, beats me. I didn't know her personally. These are questions you'd want to ask those who worked closely with her. Though, she was working on a highly classified project. _And_ I do mean _highly classified_. Please don't ask."

"Any bread crumbs or hints you can give us?"

"In truth, I don't even have all the details. So, no."

"Ratchet," the lombax turned around to face Clank, who was already across the room, "I believe I found something."

"What is it?" Ratchet and Jarvis walked over to the small robot as Clank picked up a few papers.

"They are notes of some kind, however I can not read them. They are in a language I do not quite understand."

"That's because they're in a secret code. Our researchers always hide anything that shouldn't be seen by the public eye." Jarvis snatched the paper out of Clank's hands. "I recognise some of the lettering, let me see if I can decode it." He scanned over the words and code. "Heh, interesting."

"So?" Ratchet asked.

"It's information on the project Aine was part of. Something about Zoni energy and ' _processing_ ' it. It goes on and on about stuff you likely wouldn't understand."

"Try me."

Jarvis adjusted his glasses and started reading out loud the complex words and theories and only after a while did the Lombax raise his hand and confess, "Yeah, you lost me."

"Told ya. You really shouldn't know this information though. Even _I_ shouldn't, _so_ let's put these down and pretend we didn't see anything, alright?"

" _That_ the trouble you worried I'll cause you?"

"Hey, don't know how it works in the hero business, but I'd like to _keep my job_ so I can buy groceries and pay off my bills, thank you _very_ much!"

"Fair enough." Still. Just hearing the mention of Zoni gave them some answers. There was definitely a connection between Aine and the Empire. What, however, was still a mystery.

The four searched the apartment for a little while longer but they couldn't find many clues that would lead them anywhere. It was starting to get tedious.

"Erm, don't know what you're trying to look for," Jarvis opened a drawer and peeked in, "But I'm sure not finding it."

"To be honest, we have no idea what we're looking for." Ratchet looked through some more papers but couldn't read or understand them and Jarvis had made his point that he refused to decode anything else.

"Well, isn't that encouraging."

Kor'jack found himself leaning down and looking under her sofa. He then spotted something and reached out for it. "Hey, I think I found something!"

Ratchet dropped what he was doing and ran over to him, "What did you find?"

"Erm, likely wouldn't help but it's a business badge of some sort I think."

The lombax read the big, bold lettering aloud, "Ranvier Incorporated?"

"Ranvier In- _what_!?" Jarvis darted right over to them and snatched the badge out of their hands. "Why in the universe would Aine have _this?!_ "

"Why do I get the feeling you know exactly what that is?"

"Yeah, I do. Ranvier Incorporated used to be Pollyx's Industries' competition until its CEO got involved in some illegal business practices and experiments."

"Used to be?"

"They folded years back."

"Ah." Though Jarvis's question had been a good one. Why _would_ Aine have an employee badge from a defunct business? "So, they also worked in Zoni technology?"

"Yeah, but they worked in genetics first before diving into Zoniology. Guess they wanted a piece of the pie." He let out a bitter snort. "Of all the names I never wanted to hear ever again."

"I'm assuming that they didn't have the best reception."

"That's an understatement. The CEO use to be business partners with Pollyx before they had a fallout, then they were fierce rivals. Quite a shell that broke off of that nut."

"What can you tell us about him?"

"Ranvier? Complete nutter. Use to be a famed geneticist and Zoniologist. That was until the authorities learned that he was conducting experiments that fell far away from jurisdiction, on his own employees, nonetheless! Word got out, he was thrown in jail and lost whatever sanity he had left. His business never recovered after the bad press, no matter how much the new CEOs tried to turn it around."

"Hm," Ratchet turned over to Kor'jack. "Tell Clank I'll be out in Aphelion. Gonna make a call to our little helper."

"Um, alright…" The Agorian watched him leave.

* * *

Ratchet hopped right into Aphelion and pressed a few buttons on his dashboard. A few moments later, he got in contact with Nefarious.

"Hey, Nefarious, think you can do some research on the former CEO of Ranvier Incorporated?"

Nefarious rose an eyebrow, but then he rolled his chair over to the computer. _"Let's see, let's see._ " After typing for so long and searching, _"Ah, found something!"_ He started to read. " _So, Ranvier Incorporated was a-"_

"Already know the business Nefarious."

 _"Oh, well then,_ " He then squinted his eyes and read over another section of his search. _"Alright, found something on a Professor Isaac Ranvier. Was a geneticist and Zoniologist, did some illegal research on his employees without consent. Heh, seems like we got a mad scientist on our hands."_

"I'm sure you'd know a lot about that, huh?"

 _"Erm,_ " He just stared the lombax down before going back to his research. _"Also noted that he was thrown into Equilibrium Mental Institution before escaping, months before I was there. Wouldn't blame him."_ The robot let out a shiver thinking back on his stay there.

"Anything else?"

 _"No, that's all I could find. Don't know why you have any interest in a defunct business."_

"Because it may not be so defunct."

That caught the doctor's interest. " _Hm. Hold on, going to try something else. Let's see, 'Ranvier Incorporated conspiracy theories'."_

"Conspiracy theories? _Really,_ Nefarious?"

 _"You'd be surprised how many of them end up being true."_

"Uh-huh."

" _ **Oooo**_ _, this sounds interesting..."_

The lombax rolled his eyes, "Oh boy, I wonder what someone pulled out of their ass this time?"

" _An abandoned space station that orbits not too far from Zumbrix's Four Suns. It use to play as a lab for Ranvier Incorporated but was shut down not too long after the arrest of Ranvier himself due to financial struggles within the company."_

"Joy."

" _Once Ranvier Incorporated went out of business, it was just...well, what it says on the tin. Couldn't find a buyer and it still lingers to this day."_

Ratchet yawned. "I thought this was a conspiracy theory? Not much conspiracy in it."

" _I'm not done reading it yet!"_ Nefarious let out a huff as he rolled his eyes. _"_ _ **Here's**_ _the interesting part. A traveler in that sector noticed strange activity in the area and swore to have seen someone outside working around the perimeter as well as a small carrier coming in and out of the place. There's even a picture."_ He clicked a button on his keyboard which brought up a holograph onto Aphelions' screen.

It was hard to make out thanks to the glares of the Suns, but there were two tiny blurs of black outside the station's' exterior. Ratchet zoomed in on the picture. While not one-hundred percent clear, it was enough to make out that the small shadows indeed looked like bodies. "The guy that passed through? He reported it, right?"

" _He did, but no one believed him. Very few go through that sector now, let alone near The Suns."_

"You'd think they would send one person in the PDF to investigate?"

" _Pff,_ _ **please**_ _,_ " Nefarious leaned back on his chair and grabbed a pen on the desk and start fidgeting with it, _"I had a whole system under my control. Why do you think they would start doing their job when they couldn't even stop me?"_

Ratchet let out a tired sigh, "Think you can send the coordinates?"

" _I thought you saw my interest in this as silly?"_

"Yeah, but we don't really have many options, do we?"

Nefarious struggled. _"Anything else you need? I just found an interesting article on the Ghost Leviathan."_

"Yeah, I'm good, thanks Nefarious." The screen then went black after he disconnected, and he jumped out of Aphelion. He headed back over to the building and saw Clank, Kor'jack and Jarvis in the lobby. The little robot spotted Ratchet and turned to his friend.

"So," Clank said, "What did Nefarious say?"

"We got another lead. At least, I hope it is. Not sure how accurate the source is."

"And what is the source that you are so skeptical about?"

"Conspiracy theories."

"Hey," The terachnoid butted in, "Some of those end up being true!"

"Yeah, so they say." _Of course_ _he'd be into those too._

"It is better than anything else we have," Clank looked over to Jarvis and gave him a nod. "Thank you for your assistance."

"Um, yeah, no problem. Please don't get me involved in this ever again." Jarvis said as quickly as he left. Ratchet didn't blame him really. The normal person would want to stay as far from this as they could.

"So, what are we in for?" Kor'jack asked.

"An abandoned space station that may not be so abandoned?"

"Oh." The agorian started fidgeting with his hands. "That doesn't sound quite so appealing," he replied nervously.

"You can stay behind if you'd like, Jack. Won't take any offense by it."

"Well, _maybe I should_." After a little pondering over it, he shook his head violently and said, "No, I _said_ I'dhelp! And no matter how much I may hate it, I'm gonna see it through!"

Ratchet nodded in response and then tilted his head in the direction of Aphelion. The three left the building and headed to the ship. "Let's just hope this isn't chasing a ghost. Otherwise I'm asking Talwyn to turn parental controls on the space station's computers…"

* * *

Aphelion quietly entered the Zumbrix Sector as her passengers stared out the window.

"Wow," Kor'jack said in a bit of awe, "That's...that's a lot of suns. Anyone else hot, or is it just me?"

"Heh, no wonder they couldn't sell real estate here. Bad location." Ratchet let out a snort before turning over to Clank. "I'm kind of surprised that an abandoned space station could even last so long in this heat, unless the cooling systems were active this whole time."

"It would have been a lot of maintenance and bolts to keep a facility of this caliber functioning and to prevent it from deteriorating with time. Why would a business with financial problems waste resources on such a thing if it was no longer in use?"

"Maybe they hoped to return to it one day?"

"Perhaps…"

"You aren't wearing a tin hat too, are you pal?"

"Besides the twenty percent of my casing? No.."

The lombax returned his eyes to stare out through the windshield. It wasn't too long until they spotted it. The old Ranvier Labs space station. Its exterior was disheveled, if not rusty, thanks to the little maintenance taken to keep it clean. Ratchet couldn't imagine what the inside would look like.

"That's it, I think. Aphelion, get us in closer!"

"Affirmative!" She flew in closer but kept her distance, taking notice of the turrets that were part of their defenses. Ratchet took a closer look at them.

"That's odd..."

"What is?" Clank asked.

"Those turrets are current grade. This station is years old by now, why would they have the latest upgrades? Heh, guess Nefarious wasn't so crazy after all."

"I am more worried why they are not shooting at us," Aphelion butted in. "Those should be set up to a sensory system."

"Yet they _haven't_ sensed us yet? They could be offline, Aphelion; I wouldn't worry about it."

"Yes, but if the rumor is true that they are still operational, they would also be hiding something, correct? Why have-"

Then there was a loud thump heard from the turrets as they fired. The shots blasted into space, missing Aphelion by inches without her needing to bank herself.

"Ah! That would make sense!"

"'What would?"

"It is possible that the solar flares from the suns are interfering with their targeting system. The sensors can't pick us up properly!"

"Well, lucky for us then."

"It is possible that they are working on fixing the problem, but that is the least of our troubles."

"The _least_ of our troubles?" Ratchet raised an eyebrow.

"Yes. If it is affecting them, it will affect me as well. There is a high probability that you will not be able to contact me once inside. The flares were already causing complications with my sensors when we arrived, I can only imagine what it could do with our communications."

"Well, that would be a problem, wouldn't it?"

"I am not saying we would not have any contact at all, but it would be harder to send out a signal."

"Any other pleasant news you can give us, Aphelion?"

"Yes. I am unable to find a normal entrance onto the station that is safe or not guarded."

Ratchet sighed. "Any alternatives?"

"I am trying to scan the area the best I can... I found a maintenance shaft that leads into the air ducts. You can enter in there. There is no oxygen barrier around the station however. I advise wearing an O2 mask until inside."

"Noted."

"Hey," Kor'jack acclaimed, "What about me?!"

"We have a spare mask in my glove compartment, Kor'jack. No worries."

Aphelion arrived and hovered over the hatch that led inside. Once Ratchet and Kor'jack made sure their O2 masks were on tight, she opened her hatch and the Lombax was the first to step outside, Clank already on his back.

He put his hands on the hatch door and tried to turn the wheel to pop it open. It was closed tight. "It won't budge," Ratchet's distorted voice cried out before he turned to the Agorian, "Think you can give a hand? You may have better luck than I am."

"I'll try. _Hphm!_ " Kor'jack twisted the knob forcefully.

 _*Maintenance Shaft Unlocked!*_ A monotone voice responded once he finally got it to budge and it flew open.

It flew open so fast that it almost knocked him over and he lost his footing. Clank quickly grabbed his hand to keep him balanced. Once he was back on his feet, he turned to Clank with a nod. "Thanks."

"Aphelion," Ratchet looked up at his ship, "Try to stay out of sight and keep in contact the best you can!"

"I have taken precautions just in case communication is cut off. Good luck."

The three then entered the station and Kor'jack closed the door shut, tightening it the best he could.

 _*Maintenance Shaft Locked! Depressurizing!*_

"Well, that was easy." Kor'jack chirped.

 _*Depressurizing Complete! It is Now Safe to Remove your Oxygen Equipment.*_

They removed their helmets and Ratchet turned over to him, "You may change your tune later. Now that we're inside, I doubt it'll get any easier."

"Man, this place gives me _the creeps!_ Why were we assigned here again?"

The lombax's ears perked up from the sound of a new voice. They crawled over to an opening and looked down, seeing two robotic guards passing by, similar to the ones they encountered in the Empire's compound back in Jens's home dimension.

"Hey, it ain't that bad," said the other, "Think of it this way, we aren't back on the battlefield with the General."

"Heh, I'd take General Thanatos over the Professor any day. Seriously, that guy gives off bad vibes."

"And _Thanatos_ doesn't?"

" _At least_ if Thanatos got too trigger happy; it'd be quick. I'm very sure Ranvier would put us on a slab and dissect us slowly and painfully." He let out a shiver.

"Yeah, thanks for making it harder to sleep tonight buddy…"

Once the troops were finally out of view, Clank got off Ratchet's back. "Why does it seem like the Empire hires the most despicable of people?"

"Aphelion?" Ratchet said in hope to contact her, "You hear us?"

"Yes bu-" The audio heard from the other side kept breaking up, "-but there is int-from your side-. I will try-posted."

"At least we can make you out. That's a positive." He hung up and turned to the others, tilting in the direction of the ventilation shaft. "C'mon, If Aldebaran is here, we need to find her."

They continued to crawl their way through the vent. They kept at a steady pace before hearing a low modulated voice, "Dr. Aldebaran, dear, please reconsider."

They heard a woman's voice coming from below them. This had the three crawl over to the locked off vent opening and they peaked through it's slats. The hologram in the center of the room displayed who was speaking: a formally dressed, blue skinned woman with tentacles flowing down from her head like hair.

Listening to the hologram were a terachnoid and a Markazian woman who hovered over him. Ratchet quickly assumed she must be Aldebaran.

"Surely you can see the benefits of joining our operations. You'll be in a far more respectful position than in your current employment."

"Oh," Aldebaran gave a snort, "I have a holophone at home. Couldn't you leave a message with your offer?"

"We did. You never responded."

"Sorry, don't respond to messages that are vague, let alone fishy sounding. Wonder if this is how you treat everyone you attempt to hire?"

"Dr. Aldebaran, your research on the Zoni is incredible, and your intelligence stands out from others of your species and yet you are treated as if you're second class! Why work for Pollyx if he doesn't respect you?"

"Oh, and _you_ do? Explains why you kidnapped me."

"Dr. Aldebaran, we can give you the resources you need, a better pay grade and the respect you deserve. Doesn't that sound-"

"Bite me."

The other woman glared daggers at Aldebaran, not taking kindly to her rudeness. "Well then, it's apparent I can't persuade you conventionally. Suppose we have to do this the hard way," She then turned over to the terachnoid. "Isaac, feel free to use Dr. Aldebaran in any experiments you wish. Perhaps it will give her the _persuasion_ she needs."

" _Ooo_ , I like the way _you_ think!" The terachnoid rubbed his tentacles together with the thought of the idea. He then shouted out to the guards standing outside the room. "Kindly escort her to the holding cells. I have _plans_ for her later," He followed his statement with a sadistic giggle.

The guards then took hold of the markazian as she tried to get loose from their grip. "Hey!" she protested, "Let go of me! If you asshats think torturing me is going to make me work for you, you're gonna be disappointed!"

Once they took her out of the room, the woman on the hologram sighed before speaking again, "Since that's been taken care of: How is _your_ research going Isaac?"

"We're close, my lady, _so_ close! The harvester prototype is completed, all I need to do now is test it."

"And I'm assuming you found a test subject?"

"Don't consider me a fool, my lady! I know what I'm doing!"

"I didn't, but we're behind schedule as it is. Usually I wouldn't complain, but with our recent problems we've been having-"

"I assure you, my lady, it will be done by this week!"

"How about _today_? That is, if you don't have any other distractions?"

He raised an eyebrow, confused by her comment until it clicked, "You _never_ let me have any fun with the prisoners! You can't give me new toys and expect me to not immediately play with them." Ranvier crossed his arms with a pout.

"Work before play, Professor. However, I must be going. I have other matters to attend to. Don't disappoint me." The hologram then shut down.

The terachnoid let out a huff before leaving the room. " _Impatient_ thatwoman is," he grumbled.

With the conversation over, the lombax turned back over to his companions. "Heh, guess if she can't get her way then torture is a perfectly reasonable option. Typical."

"Do you really think we should be joking about this?" Kor'jack rebutted, "She could end up on a slab like those guards said."

"Chill out Jack, we'll get her out of here alive."

"While being caught in the crossfire…"

"You're the one who chose to come," Ratchet responded back as they continued to crawl through the vents.

"And I'm starting to second guess my choice."

"Perhaps it would be wise to attempt to get Aldebaran out without drawing attention to ourselves." Clank added

Ratchet huffed. "When is it ever _that_ easy?"

"It is _never_ that easy…"

They came to another hatch and peeked down, finding themselves above the cells. Ratchet took a closer look…

There was Aldebaran, kicking, punching and really trying any attempt to break down the wall since any escape through the laser bars was a no-go.

"Hey," one of the guards shouted from across the room as the lombax looked in that direction, "Cut that out! You'll hurt yourself!"

"Oh, you're concerned about my safely? That's cute. Didn't think I'd be kept in a cell if that was the case..."

"Hey, the empress is reasonable," The other claimed with his back still turned to her, "You can still agree to her offer and she'll forgive that mouth of yours."

"Ah yes, submit to the _all mighty overlord_. Rather rot in here to be honest."

The guard shrugged as the other rolled his eyes before turning back the other way. " _So_ happy we're stuck with a snarker. Did I say that I'd rather be on the field with the General again?"

With the other two still looking down, Kor'jack turned to Ratchet and asked, "So, how're we getting her out of there?"

"I got an idea," Ratchet replied. He pressed down slightly on the vent, noticing the screws on the hatch were loose so they wouldn't need to force it and risk the chance of making noise. The lombax quietly slid it open and looked for the moment to enter the room.

"So did you catch Lance and Janice last night?" The guard said to his partner, oblivious to the lombax slowly climbing down.

"Some of it, yeah, but lost interest when they revealed the 'plot twist.' Seriously, this is the third time she ends up dating Englebert. We all know she's going to break up with him _again_!"

"Yeah, the writers are starting to lose steam…"

Ratchet landed on his feet as the guards continued to debate. Aldebaran's eyes widened at the sight of the lombax. He turned to her and put his finger over his mouth in a 'shh' gesture. The Markazian replied back by silently zipping her lips.

He then turned around and tip toed toward the guards.

"I'm honestly surprised that the eleventh season didn't kill the show. You'd think by now that the audience would get so fed up with this cr-Oof!"

With a swing of his wrench, Ratchet knocked the guard unconscious, landing flat on the ground. This alerted the other to turn around and spot Ratchet. He aimed his gun at him and shouted, "Hey, you don't belong h-!"

His reflexes were too slow compared to Ratchet's and with another _whack_ , the other fell as well.

Aldebaran let out a chuckle as she crossed her arms. "Nice entrance."

"Thanks," Ratchet put his wrench away. "Dr. Aine Aldebaran?"

"That's me. And seeing as you're a lombax, I only assume that you're Ratchet. Heh, the _dashing_ hero coming to save the damsel in distress?"

"You can say that."

Clank hopped down himself before turning to Aldebaran and greeting, "Dr. Aldebaran?"

"Hey, nice to meet you two. Did Pollyx send you?"

"Not directly, but I am sure he will appreciate that we have came to your aid. I hope you were not harmed."

"Heh, nothing I can't live with but this isn't the place for small talk."

"Um, guys?" The three turned to the agorian, whose lower torso and legs hung from the ceiling, as his upper body was too thick to get through the vent. "A little help here?"

Ratchet rolled his eyes and came to Kor'jack's aid as he hopped up and pulled on his legs. A pop later and the agorian was free but…

" _Oof!"_

On the ground, he shook his head and then turned over to Ratchet, who was under him. "Eek!" The agorian swiftly got back on his feet and added, "You okay, fuzzyguy?!"

"Yeah," The lombax, who was still laying on the floor, gave him a thumbs up, "I'm good." Kor'jack held out a hand and pulled Ratchet up once he grabbed it. "Thanks." He then turned back to Aldebaran, "Alright, we should get out out of there. Do you know if those guards have a key or code?"

"It's code based," Aldebaran replied, "But sadly, I don't know it."

"Well, that's going to be a problem then. Hold on while we think of some-"

All a sudden, the bars shut down. "Huh?" Ratchet then turned to Kor'jack beside him, seeing that had he pulled a few exposed wires from the wall. Looking each other in the eye, the agorian just answered with a shrug without further comment. "Well then, nevermind…"

She gave a light laugh as she strolled out causally, "Good. The musty smell was getting to me."

"For someone who has been kidnapped, you're sure handling this well."

"I've dealt with my share of mad scientists before," Aldebaran didn't elaborate further as she leaned down and picked up one of the guard's guns. "Comes with the business." She cocked the gun and flicked off the safety before turning back around to the others with a smile, "So, shall we get going...?"

* * *

"So, do you have the slightest idea of why they took you hostage?" Ratchet whispered as they snuck through the halls.

"Yeah," Aldebaran scanned the intersection before continuing as she was familiar with the layout of most of the station, "My research on the Zoni. Lady Queen here wouldn't disclose any more information to me unless I was onboard," She let out a snort, "Quite the ego on her if she really believed I'd join some random chick who ordered my capture."

"Can you tell us anything you learned about Lania during your stay here?"

"Besides the fact she's this big deal empress of, what she says, is her big deal omniversal empire, nope." She turned to Ratchet, "I get the feeling you dealt with them before?"

"Yeah, you can say that."

"Heh, nice to hear you keep busy," The Markazian gave another look. "Alright, coast is clear. Let's get moving."

The four made it through the hallway before getting to another intersection. "We're not too far from the hanger bay. Assuming you have a ship?"

"Yeah, speaking of which, I should contact Aphelion." Ratchet then spoke into his communicator, "Aphelion, you hear me?"

There was nothing but static on the other end.

"Aphelion?! Can you hear me?!"

Nothing..

"Damn it! I can't get in contact with her!" He turned to the others, "The solar flares must be bad."

"Yeah, attempted to send out a distress call when they weren't looking when we arrived in the system. Was caught but I wasn't able to get through anyways. We can snatch a ship in the hanger if we need to."

The coast was clear and they continued down the halls once again. However they came to a halt when they heard the sound of humming progressively getting louder as someone enclosed on them from the opposite direction. "Quick, hide!"

The four hid behind the closest wall and took a peak. They saw Ravier walking throughout the halls, noticing a sign that said 'Lab Wing' and pointed to the direction the terachnoid was going to. Ratchet then noticed something he was holding in his hand…

It was a Zoni, locked into a small glass cage, banging on the glass as it attempted to escape.

"He has a Zoni!"

"What?" replied Clank, who couldn't see from his position on Ratchet's back. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure," He turned halfway to the robot, "He's in a box though and can't get out. Aren't Zoni able to teleport?"

"Hm," Clank thought for a second, "Perhaps it has a mechanism that prevents it from using its powers. Nefarious was capable of trapping Orvus, I assume he has something similar."

"Maybe," The lombax followed the terachnoid.

"Hey!" Aldebaran, with Kor'jack next to her, weny wide eyed seeing the two going the opposite direction. "The hanger is this way!"

"Taking a quick detour."

She was puzzled. "What?! We're wasting time doing that. You can find out what the mad terachnoid is up to another day!"

"We may not get another chance."

"So we should risk hanging around?"

"Just stay out of sight. Kor'jack, stay with her, we'll be right back."

"Um, okay…"

The Markazian just let out a drawn out groan in disgust as she watched Ratchet and Clank turn down the other hallway. "Are they always this stubborn...?"

* * *

The two snuck around the lab wing trying to find Ranvier. When they finally found him, they hid behind the wall as Clank hopped off Ratchet's back for a good view. "How do you think they were able to capture a Zoni to begin with?" He whispered over to the lombax.

Ratchet turned to him and whispered back, "That's what we're gonna find out," and then peaked around the corner, just enough to see what the scientist was up to without being caught...

The terachnoid was happily humming a tune as he put the glass cage down on the counter while the Zoni banged against its walls. Two robotic legs expanded from the backpack the scientist wore and pressed themselves to the ground. They lifted his body up until he could reach one of the cabinets above his work area. From the cabinet he pulled out a strange looking device. The robotic legs began to retract into the pack, lowering Ranvier back to the ground. Once there he set the device on his work table and rubbed his tentacles together.

He gleefully inserted the cage in between the gap within the device, giggling at whatever devious plot he had in mind and lowered the safety glasses from his head to shield his eyes. "Now, the moment of truth!" And with that he pulled the lever on the machine he started laughing maniacally as the room shined with a blinding light.

Ratchet and Clank covered their eyes to protect themselves from the beam. As it dimmed, they opened them again and peaked back in.

Ranvier was still giggling right before yelling out:

"IT WORKED! MY PROTOTYPE _WORKS_! _**MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA**_!"

However, he composed himself quickly and ejected a canister from the side of the machine. It glowed with a bright blue light similar to the Zoni's. "Well, time to send a report." He turned around and as he strolled out of the room, the two quickly pressed themselves to the wall, hiding themselves and making the scientist oblivious to their presence. When he was finally out of view, Ratchet took another peak only to notice Clank was already standing in the center of the room. And from his body language, the lombax picked up that something was wrong.

"Clank?" Ratchet ran in, "Clank, what's the matter?"

The robot didn't say a word, he only stood there and stared up at Ranvier's work table with wide eyed shock. The lombax followed his gaze and found his own expression match his pal's...

Still in its cage, the Zoni lay weakly, seemingly unable to levitate any more. It's body was dimmed from all light and it was wrinkled as if the life was sucked right out of it. It attempted to pick it's little body up and float, but it fell right back down.

"He...they drained it of its energy?"

"Yes." Clank said in a monotone voice, even more so than unusual, "It appears so."

Ratchet was in just as much disbelief as Clank but didn't know what more he could say. Before he could even think of the slightest idea, he turned back to the Zoni and took notice of the ashes starting to flow down off its skin. Soon enough, the residue appeared to be breaking it down piece by piece…

Clank's mouth opened as he looked around the room desperately. "Ratchet, we have to do something! We cannot let it die like this!" The robot ran up to the counter and started to climb up from the drawer handles. Once on the surface of the worktable he pushed the cage down off and it fell. The container shattered once it hit the ground and the Zoni collapsed in a heap atop the broken glass. Now out of its prison, the Zoni attempted to crawl and let out a small, pathetic cry of, "help," as it continued to crumble.

Clank hopped down from the table and approached the Zoni offering it a hand. The creature extended its own hand to meet his but it crumbled away to ash before it could meet his grasp. Ratchet and Clank could only watch with horror as within minutes the Zoni crumbled to dust before them. All that remained was the ash of its body and the suit that was worn by it. Nothing but silence filled the room as Clank took a few steps back, still stunned after what they had just witnessed. His shock stole his words from him.

Ratchet looked down at his friend. "Clank, I…" He sighed, not knowing what to say to him.

The little robot gulped as he attempted to get his mind back together. "There…there is nothing we can do for it now." However, that despair quickly turned into anger. "What is the purpose of this?!"

"Your oil is starting to boil there buddy…"

"And yours is not?!" Ratchet flinched. Clank rarely snapped at him and he immediately regretted trying to mask his own horror with a humoured tone. "They just tortured _and_ murdered a poor, helpless creature! And for what motive?!"

"I don't know Clank, but we're going to find out, I promise."

Clank shook his head, "We must report this to Sigmund."

"Yeah, he has the right to know about this," Ratchet sighed, "but I think we've overstayed our welcome. It's only a matter of time until we-" He cut himself short when he took notice of four guards pointing their guns right into the lombax's face. His voice cracked, "-We're spotted?"

"My, my, _my_ ," Ranvier pushed aside one of the troopers as he entered, "What is it we have here?" He let out another sadistic giggle. "An _intruder!_ "

The lombax leaned over to his friend, "So much for escaping unseen…"

"My base is _impenetrable!_ How did you get in here?!"

"Um, bad upkeep? You really need to invest in maintenance."

"Oh, we try to but money gets tight and-" Ranvier paused and realised he was getting off topic. "Nevermind that! Do you know _what we do_ to _trespassers_ around here?!" His mechanical legs shot up from his backpack and raised him high above them. A razor saw then exploded from the pack, attached to another mechanical arm, and was directed at the Lombax's face. "I always was curious about what makes a _lombax_ tick." The mad doctor then followed up his words with a sadistic giggle. "Perhaps I'll dissect your _corpse_ to find out!"

However, the scream of one of his troopers distracted him. He swiftly turned around to only notice a huge hole in its chest. "What is the mea-?" And not even a moment later, the other three alongside Ranvier were shot dead and they dropped to the ground. A laser was shot at him, however he dodged out of the way before it hit him. He finally caught sight of who was firing at him.

Aldebaran, with the gun she stole from his troops earlier, flashed a mischievous smile as she put her finger on the trigger again. "Sorry to crash the party,"

"Hey, this one is worth crashing," Ratchet got back on his feet as Clank hopped onto the Lombax's back. He slid right below Ranvier, the terachnoid oblivious as his eyes were still locked on Aldebaran. He only finally noticed once he and Aldeberan turned to run from the lab.

"You hooligans think there's a way to escape!?" Ranvier quickly turned around and stomped after them. And thanks to his mechanical legs, he was gaining on them, _fast_ **!** As he finally caught up with them, he let out two mechanical arms and scooped them in each, causing Aldebaran to drop her gun. "There is _no escape!_ "

Ratchet struggled to break free from its tight grip, but if anything he felt it closing in tighter on them. The grip grew so tight that he was struggling to breathe. "Crap," He let out a distressed cry.

"Aw, look at you two, squealing like the lab rats you are."

"Le-let go of us, you _freak_!" The markazian yelped out.

"Oh I will, once _I'm_ finished grinding _your bones!_ " He let out a maniacal laugh, but it was soon interrupted as he felt something hit the back of his head. He swiftly turned his head and took notice of Kor'jack holding another small piece of rubble in his hand.

"Hey, you," the agorian said forcefully, if not with just a tinge of fear. "You, um-you put my friends down!"

"Kor'jack!" The lombax barely called out.

"Oh, another little pest that had the misfortune of stepping into my domain? Don't worry, I'll make sure you aren't left out!" Ranvier's saw roared and the professor directed it at the agorian.

" _Ah!_ " Kor'jack started to run as he was being chased down. "Crap, crap, crap, _craaaap_!" He dodged quickly out of the way which caused him to lose his balance and crash into some lab equipment. He groaned in pain. "I'm regretting every decision I've made today…"

"Jack," Ratchet called out, "Jack, the gun, use the gun!"

"What gun?!" He then noticed the weapon Aldebaran dropped at the other end of the room. "Oh."

Ranvier was blocking any escape Kor'jack could have had as he hovered over him. "Now, I never had an agorian test subject before," He paused between a sadistic giggle, "I'd expect more from your species but hey, you'll just have to do."

Kor'jack saw the space between the terachnoid's mechanical legs. He swiftly glared up and down between his foe and the gap. He gulped, not confident that he'd be able to pull this off.

Ranvier released his saw and just before it made impact, Kor'jack rolled right under his legs and ran over to the gun.

"Hey!" The terachnoid would have already turned to him if it wasn't for his blade embedding itself into the floor where Kor'jack had been standing. The agorian finally took grip of the gun, flimsily trying to figure out how to use it. Ranvier finally broke his saw free and started pacing over to the lizard.

Kor'jack noticed him coming closer. In a panic, he pulled the trigger, blasting two of the scientist's mechanical legs off, causing him to lose balance. And moments later found himself crashing to the ground, losing grip of Ratchet and Aldebaran.

The two fell to their hands and knees, letting out sputtering coughs as they could finally breathe. "You alright?" Ratchet wheezed as he turned to Aldebaran, huffing between words.

"Yeah," She replied, "Yeah, I'm good." Once the markazian got up, she walked over to Ratchet and gave him her hand. He gripped it as she pulled him up.

"Thanks," Ratchet, still trying to catch his breath, turned over to where Clank was still on his back, "You alright, pal?"

"Yes, I am fine. But perhaps we should not linger here much longer."

"Can't help but agree with your buddy," Aldebaran remarked, "I think I had enough of this place for a lifetime."

The four then started running towards the hangar bay. Once gone, a few guards ran into the lab and spotted Ranvier. "Professor?"

Ranvier growled. "What are you halfwits doing?! Don't let them _escape_!"

* * *

The alarms flashed red throughout the station. They fought for their escape, halls heavy with guards blocking nearly every exit.

"Aphelion?!" Ratchet tried to get into contact with his ship once more, only to continually get static in return. Still, the lombax couldn't give up on her. "Oh Zoni, Aphelion, if this message does get to you, we need extraction, _now!_ We'll be in the hangar bay." He hung up, only to continue to whack an approaching soldier with his wrench. Knocked out, he swiftly grabbed his gun and pulled the trigger, pushing back whatever guards were left in their path. He turned to Aldebaran. "We almost there?"

"Yeah, about. Get in contact with your ship?"

"Not sure."

"As I said, we'll snatch one of theirs. To hell with waiting around!"

"Even if we do, I can't just leave Aphelion behind!"

"You must really love that ship!"

They finally made it to the hangar bay, only to find the doors between them and their escape sealed shut.

"Damn it," Aldebaran shouted, "They have it locked down!"

"Well that's going to be a problem then," The lombax scanned the room. He spotted a single small cargo ship that could possibly be used for their escape. His eyes shifted the other way when he saw two guards shouting "Halt!" coming their way. Ratchet, with gun still in hand, blasted them out of the way. Once the path was clear, he noticed the control room they had come from. The same guards must have been in charge of it and they'd left it wide open when they tried to confront them.

"Doc, think you can manage opening some doors?" He tilted his head to the direction of the hangar controls.

She turned its way, and replied with a nod. "Think you can watch my back?"

"Got you covered. Clank, go with her! Kor'jack and I will cover you!"

"Wait, _what_?!" The Agorian balked when Ratchet mentioned he'd help 'cover them'. He didn't protest though, gripping the weapon tighter in his hands with a nervous gulp. Kor'jack then spotted more soldiers coming their way. He put his finger on the trigger and gritted his teeth. "I just hope you have _me_ covered." He fired, blasting a hole right into two of the guard's chests.

Clank got off the lombax's back and ran to meet up with Aldebaran, who was already at the controls.

"Okay, let's see, let's see," She scanned all the buttons, trying to find the right one. What stood out was a huge lever on her right. "This must be it!"

"Dr. Aldebaran?" Clank approached her as she looked over to him with a smile and hand already gripping the lever. She pulled it and and as quick as she did, the hangar doors slowly opened.

"Hey, you two," the Markazian shouted at Ratchet and Kor'jack as she ran over to the cargo ship with Clank. "Ready to jet?!"

The two turned around. "You bet!" All four of them approached it, but a missile flew in the same direction beating them to the punch, blowing up the ship in the process. The explosion caused them to go flying off the ground inches away from the ship.

Ratchet heard a ringing in his ear as he slowly got back on his feet, letting out a soft cough. With his eyesight blurry he looked around for the others and barely made out Aldebaran helping Kor'jack back up with Clank beside them. "Everyone alright?" The lombax was still trying to get his bearings when he asked the question.

"So." Their attention however shifted in a different direction as they heard the cracking voice of the terachnoid approach them, followed by troopers close behind him. "You fools thought you could escape from here scot free? HA! How naive must you be to think you can escape me, _Professor Isaac Ranvier_!"

"And here I thought Vorselon was pretentious," the lombax mumbled to himself.

"You lot had the _gall_ to think you could foil the Empress' plans! Only a simpleton would _dare try_ to tumble her mighty empire. You may think you could have won but your time is now at an end! Prepare to face your-!" His speech was interrupted from an explosion, flinging Ranvier and his men across the room. The lombax and his friends turned around to see where the source of it was. Flying into the hanger came Aphelion. She landed roughly, causing sparks to fly up from beneath her as she slowly came to a stop.

She finally opened her hatch and chirped, "The cavalry has arrived!"

Ratchet's face brightened as he ran over to his ship with the other three following. "Am I glad to see you, Aphelion!"

"I apologize for my tardiness," she replied as everyone climbed in, "I just received your distress call. I hope I didn't keep you-"

"Uh-huh," Aldebaran interrupted, "That's lovely, but if you could please - _GET US OUT OF HERE!_ "

Raniver finally got back up and took notice of Aphelion turning herself around and gracefully flying out of the hanger bay. The terachnoid's eyes widened before turning to his men, who were still getting their footing. "Get those turrets online and shoot them _down_!"

As Aphelion finally entered space, the turrets were already firing but she managed to dodge every missile aimed at her. Once far enough out, she took the jump out of the sector and made her way back to Axiom City...

* * *

The four were seated in a booth in a diner near Aldebaran's apartment in Axiom City, discussing the events and new information that they gathered during their 'stay' at Ranvier's station. Kor'jack was currently in the restroom, while the other three began to talk more about their findings.

"So, the thing with the Zoni you were talking about," Aldebaran swirled her milkshake with a big, tall straw, giving Ratchet or Clank little eye contact while speaking, "I got the impression that they couldn't be killed, being, what, pure energy?"

"They are still living beings, Dr. Aldebaran," Clank replied. "Even if only energy, they are still capable of dying."

"I suppose, but I didn't think they'd break out in ash either, even if there was organic matter to kill in their bodies. Maybe there's more to the Zoni than we thought."

"Is this really the time to ponder over their biology, Doc?"

She glared over to the lombax. "My apologies if I'm not being enthusiastically sympathetic. I've been studying the Zoni and their bioenergy so long that-" Aldebaran paused, unsure if she should finish her sentence as she stared back down at her shake in silence.

"What's wrong?"

"Huh?" She looked back up at him. "Nothing I'm… just thinking."

"Ah, so that's why you have that look on your face as if you're hiding something?"

"What, don't make-" Aldebaran squinted her eyes at her accuser, but she took in a deep breath and sighed before staring back over to the two. "I suppose I should throw you a bone; for rescuing me and all." Aldebaran's tone was measured before she continued, "So, you know that top secret project that Pollyx has me and others working on?"

"Yeah, what about it?" Ratchet raised an eyebrow. Something told him that what she was about to say wasn't pleasant.

"Well, our research was...it was in regard to how to harness Zoni bioenergy. And considering how I helped come up with theories and technology in regards to this, I think it was the reason why they kidnapped me to begin with."

Clank jumped back at the new information. "Why did you not mention this earlier?"

"I said I was doing research on the Zoni, just didn't say what."

"So you decided to hide this from us?!" The little robot started to raise his voice.

"I didn't hide anything, just thought it was best to not say 'hey, guess what? My job involves draining energy out of Zoni with the possibility of killing them in the progress.'"

"Possibility? Meaning you have not done so already?"

"We haven't gotten to the stage yet where we're using live experiments, but we're close. That's one of the reasons why Pollyx brought me on. He saw my college research. His words were 'wow, your intelligence rivals us Terachnoids'.' Closest thing to a compliment for these guys, I suppose. And then he asked if I wanted a job and hired me. I've been studying how to process their energy for years now."

"For _years_!? Even before working with Pollyx?"

She could tell how frustrated the robot was becoming, but continued nonetheless. "Yeah. I'm not sure what this empire plans on using it as a source for but think of what it could do for _us_. It can help us create and run machinery light years ahead of what we already have now! Maybe even help with medical advancement if we can figure out how their time powers work. It'd change lives, for the better!"

"All with no consideration of the other species' consent?"

"You know the medical field have been using animal research for years, right? And look at all the lives we've saved with that."

"But the Zoni are _not_ animals! They are intelligent, sentient beings that date far before any of us were ever born, preventing the very end of this universe as we know it! And your so called use of 'time powers' for medical advancement? From the sound of it, you want to bring back people from the dead! Or perhaps you believe it can be used as a fountain of youth?"

"What do you know of what I want? I'm not being selfish, I'm stating facts! Don't make assumptions. "

"Why, you are no different than the very people we saved you from! You genuinely believe that your unethical means will lead to a justified end! It would not surprise me at this point if Pollyx is aligned with The Empire for his personal gains!"

Ratchet sighed, "Clank, this isn't the time."

"You can not tell me that what she is saying is right?"

"It isn't, but whatever Pollyx or Aldebaran are doing we can discuss another time. Right now we have a bigger problem," The lombax turned to Aldebaran, giving her a long, hard look to make the point across that his words applied to her too.

The markazian didn't protest further. "Look, we aren't even at the final stages yet. It wouldn't surprise me if Pollyx decides to put the project on hold for a while. After all that went down, he'd likely want to avoid anymore bad publicity." There was a moment of silence between them until her eyes widened. "You know, a few months back we did have a third party approach us in regard to our research. How they learned about it, I don't know, considering the project isn't public knowledge for...well, you can guess what reasons."

Ratchet's ears perked up. "Are you saying Pollyx may have dealings with The Empire after all?"

"I don't know. Most of us on the project didn't even know about it until the lead mentioned the possibility of a partnership. From my knowledge it fell through but that's the official statement. Wouldn't be good PR if your stockholders learned you're in bed with some big interdimensional empire. Behind closed doors however…"

"Okay, but, if The Empire and Pollyx had a partnership, what reason would lead them to attack his labs to begin with? Doesn't add up."

"Hey, they could have had a bad fallout, or a disagreement, or whatever! I'm just thinking out loud. Still, I could look into it, if you want."

"Going to probe Pollyx for that info then?"

" _Pff_ , no! Think he'd let me near anything classified as private records? I can see if I can find out anything from the archives or find some way to hack into the company's mainframe. I dunno, it's worth a shot, right?"

"Well, Nefa-" He corrected himself, "One of our friends feeding us recon reports claims that he's more than likely not working with them, but if you think there's a chance he's been in contact with them, even if hostile; at the very least it's worth looking into."

Clank shook his head in disbelief before getting up and hopping down from his seat. "I will be waiting outside with Aphelion." He didn't add anything else, just headed to the door with the two watching him.

Ratchet's frown tightened before he turned back to Aldebaran. "I should likely go check on him. I'll be right back to pay the bill."

Aldebaran raised her hand, gesturing him to stop. "Don't worry, it's on me. Least I could do for saving my life." She then tilted her head in the direction of the door. "Go on, I'll wait for your other friend to come out…"

* * *

"Clank!" The little robot turned around at the sound of Ratchet calling out his name as he ran to catch up to his side. "Hey, you alright, pal? I know after that heated argument you had with with Aldebaran…"

"Yes, I am fine Ratchet, thank you."

The lombax smiled as the two continued to stroll to their ship, "I don't think I've ever seen you get that riled up before. At least, not since before we stopped Drek."

"I am sorry, my feelings got the better of me. I should more than likely apologize to Dr. Aldebaran for my behavior, it was most unbecoming…"

"Hey, you had every right to be angry! With all that happened today and after what we saw, well...she was pushing it deep. Though it wouldn't hurt to be on good terms with her at least if she's going to help us out."

Clank shook his head, "I do not understand why The Empire are doing such a horrid thing. What means would they need Zoni Bioenergy for?"

"Didn't you mention Sigmund saying The Core is basically a Zoni powered battery? Maybe it needed a bit more juice?"

"Perhaps."

"Don't worry Clank," Ratchet gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder, "We'll find out. And we'll stop them."

"Ratchet!" Aphelion said once she took notice of Ratchet and Clank walking to her. "Miss Apogee called not too long ago... "

"Huh? What about?"

"I...I think you should see for yourself." Her tone seemed distressed. Ratchet didn't like the sound of that...

Ratchet quickly hopped into the pilot's seat and pressed a few buttons on the dashboard, "Play the message, Aphelion."

The holoscreen turned on, playing the recording:

" _Ratchet, you there?! Oh Zoni, please pick up!"_

The video feed was shaky at best, but he could easily make out Cronk and Zephyr in the background, holding off whatever was shooting back at them.

" _Oh man, if you get this message, you have to come back to the station rig-"_ The message kept fizzing into static. _-e're under attack!"_

Ratchet stiffened and his eyes widened in shock at hearing the news.

" _I don't know how much lon-We'll hold them as much as we can bu-Hey, hey let go of me!_ _ **LET GO!**_ _"_

She screamed as she was pulled off screen by the hair. Then the feed went to static before completely going dead. Ratchet didn't even realise he was growling.

"I received it not too long ago," Aphelion added, "If we go now, perhaps we can make it in time…"

"Right. Clank," Ratchet said angrily, "Get in the ship, we need to go, _now_."

"Is everything alright?" Aldebaranasked calmly as she walked alongside Kor'jack.

"We need to get back to the station quickly, it is under attack!" Clank hopped into Aphelion.

" _Attack_!?" Kor'jack tried to wrap his head around the news, "What's going on?"

" _Get in_ ," Ratchet replied harshly, "We'll tell you on the way, but we can't stay any longer." The lombax then looked back over to the older woman, "Thanks for your help. If you find anything else…"

"I'll do my research and contact you if I find anything," she said with a nod.

"Something bad is going down, isn't it?" Kor'jack was already in the ship when he asked the question. The hatch door closed and locked as Aphelion engaged her engines and zoomed right through Axiom City's skies and back into space.

They all hoped it wasn't too late...

* * *

They finally arrived back at the station and quickly flew into the garage. As soon as Aphelion parked, Ratchet didn't waste any time and hopped right out of his seat and darted through the entrance...

The station was completely trashed.

Ratchet hands clenched into fists as he ran throughout the station, each room in the same state of disarray as the last. "Talwyn?! Cronk?! Anyone?!" He kept shouting out the names of his friends. Nothing. No response, not even a sound.

' _Don't tell me we're too late…'_

"Ratchet?"

He turned around, looking over his shoulders as he saw Clank and Kor'jack walking into the room.

"Clank, did you find anyone?"

"No, I have not…"

"Great…"

Ratchet, as much as he was in disbelief, didn't give up hope just yet. He kept running around, calling out the names of his friends. But after a while, reality reeled him in and he couldn't lie to himself any longer...

They were gone. _Everyone_ was gone…

"Crap…"

The lombax then caught sight of something shaking under a desk. Keeping alert, Ratchet raised his wrench and slowly walked over and took a look under to find...

"Qwark?"

"Huh?" Qwark opened one of his eyes but continued to huddle in the fetal position, even at the sound of a familiar voice. "Ratchet, you're back! What a sight for sore eyes!"

"Yeah, glad to see you're okay, _I_ guess." Qwark was likely _the last person_ he hoped wasn't captured. Regardless, he followed up with, "Where're the others? Is Talwyn safe?"

"Erm, wish I could answer that. I was hiding under this table the whole time. Barely got a glimpse of what was going on..."

Ratchet growled in anger. "So, you just _cowered_ here, like you _always_ do, watching everyone being taken away and _not_ doing anything about it!? What the _hell_ , Qwark?!"

"Um, I, erm-"

He took in a deep breath and sighed in frustration. "Whatever, there's nothing we can do about it now." The lombax stood back up and held his hand out for Qwark to grab so he could get back up on his feet as well. "What we can do is get them back. We've just got to figure out how…"

Ratchet then took his attention across the room and his eyes widened in panic at what he found.

The safe that the Nexus Core was held in was cracked wide open. "Oh crap." Ratchet ran as quickly as he could and moved the safe door out of the way to get a look inside. It was gone.

Ratchet slammed his fist into the wall. "They got the Core!"

"Hey, Fuzzyguy?"

The lombax's ears perked up a bit from hearing his name. "What is it?" He replied as calmly as he could, but he was one frustrated mess at the moment.

"Clank found something."

Ratchet walked over to the big computer with Kor'jack and Qwark. "What is it, Clank?"

The little robot looked up at his friend, pointing directly at a small, red blinking light. "Someone left a recording…"

That caused him pause. "Play it."

With a press of a button, the screen lit up and played the message.

" _Hey there Fuzzball. Remember_ _ **me**_ _?"_

On the screen appeared Thanatos, giving a salute as he greeted them.

" _I still didn't forget our last encounter. Pest you are, ya know that? Screwed up my A grade with the chain of command. I'm sure you're happy about that._ _ **But**_ _,"_ He shrugged his shoulders as he tilted the camera to the right of him, _"…I didn't leave this message to brag."_

Right behind him was Talwyn, restrained by two soldiers with her struggling to get loose. She mumbled on her words due to a cloth tied around her mouth.

"Tal!" Ratchet shouted in distress.

" _It would have been easier to just kill her and be over with,_ _ **but**_ _I have my orders to bring her in alive. As for the rest of your friends, well, that's up to Lania."_ He took out a cigar as he lit it. _"If you want to see her and your friends again, we just need one thing from you. I think you already know what that is…_

" _You bring the Nexus Core; you'll get the girl back. Simple as that. Sadly won't be there to see you pout, I'm sure Lania will fill me in all about it later."_ He glazed over Talwyn before he turned back over to the camera, _"And with a pretty face like that, it'd be a shame for anything to happen to her. Anyways, there are directions on how to get to Lania's place in this file. You got about three hours starting from the end of this recording; that should be enough time. If you don't get there, well…"_ He took his finger and made the silt in the neck gesture.

" _Well, I should end this here. She'll be waiting for you, and she doesn't like to be held up." He then turned to his men. "Alright boys, let's round the rest up and get the hell out of here!"_

And with that, the video ended. There was nothing but silence.

Ratchet then growled, his fists hitting the dashboard. " _Damn_ it!"

"Ratchet, are you alright?" The little robot asked.

The lombax looked down at him, still a bit annoyed. "…Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." He said, relatively more calmly as he shook his head. Lost in thought, he realized something. "Wait, he said they didn't get the Core?"

"Yes, I heard that too, but…the vault was open."

"I know…" Ratchet looked over to the other room.

"But, if they do not have it, who does? General Thanatos said that they took everyone."

"Not everyone." He replied sharply.

"What do you mean?" Clank walked over to his friend who was looking right at the escape pods, seeing that one was missing. The lombax shook his fist in irritation.

' _Nefarious…'_


	12. Chapter Eleven: Into the Nexus

**A/N:** _Phew_ finally got this chapter done and edited. I really have nothing to add for this chapter. Thankfully I only have one more rewrite to go and plan on working on it once I get back from my cruise. And yes, I'm naming chapters base off game titles now because I can...

Anyways, enjoy~

 **Chapter Eleven: Into the Nexus**

"I _can't_ believe this!" Ratchet strode back and forth in disgust, ranting away about Nefarious and the Core as Qwark and Kor'jack kept their sight locked on him, "That _backstabbing_ \- we should have expected this."

"Well, you did say not to hand him over to the galactic authorities."

The lombax stopped in his tracks when Qwark mentioned the very fact that screwed them over, "Yeah, and I'm starting to regret that choice." He shook his head. "I shouldn't have been this careless. I should have-"

Kor'jack butted in, "I think you're being too hard on yourself. Shouldn't you be blaming him?"

"Yeah, but I'm the one who made the choice to not turn him in. I _insisted_ on it."

The three turned around when they heard the door slide open as Clank stepped into the room.

"Did you find anyone?"

"No, I have checked everywhere," the little robot responded, "I am sorry, Ratchet."

The lombax sighed. "There's nothing we can do about it now. What we can do is save Talwyn and the others."

"So, you have a game plan?" Kor'jack asked.

"No, but I'll figure out something."

"And Nefarious?" Qwark interrupted as he played with his thumbs nervously. "Aren't you worried he'll do something, well, evil?"

"Yeah, but we don't have time to start going on a wild goose chase after him. Trust me Qwark, he isn't going to get off easy. If we're lucky, maybe the PDF will catch up with him and save us the effort of handing him over ourselves."

"Okay but, doesn't he have that Core... _thing?_ Don't you need to give that to The Empire?"

Ratchet's ears twitched slightly. He genuinely forgot all about it with his frustration with Nefarious clouding his thoughts. They couldn't simply be expected to just walk in and hand the Core over to the Empire. That'd be a win for them and this Lania person. Their goal was to stop them, not help them.

But Talwyn's and the other's lives were in danger. Going there on the the offense would put them at risk and Ratchet didn't have the slightest clue what was planned for them. All he knew was that this was nothing more than a trap they were being lured into.

They needed to tread lightly.

Ratchet was silent for a moment as he thought over their options. Then something clicked and he turned over to Kor'jack, remembering the gear he sculpted earlier. "'Jack, you think you can make a decoy?"

Kor'jack's stare glazed over with confusion. "Um, a decoy?"

"Yeah, a decoy. They aren't going to let us in without the Nexus Core, right? We need something to back us up."

"...But you're asking me?"

"Yeah, your point?"

" _My point_ is you're asking _me_. You're asking me to make something that's super powerful and impossible to replicate to use in a life or death situation within a few hours?" The Agorian sounded unsure of his suitability for the task Ratchet asked of him, nor did he attempt to hide it. "This isn't basic arts and crafts here! You're asking a lot! You'd have a better shot at making one than me!"

"Maybe, but I'm asking _you_. You have a talent for sculpting things like no one's business. Even I can't do that."

"But I-I don't even know how that Zoni stuff even _works_!" The nerves that built up within him only started to make Kor'jack's voice crack, "I can't do this, Fuzzyguy, there's no way in-" He grew more flustered before blurring out. "Why ask me? I'm not like you or Clank or-"

Ratchet sighed, but he walked closer to his friend before continuing. "Look, I get it. You're scared and believe it's an impossible task and you may be right; but you think too little of yourself. You like to believe you're not worth anything and insist that you're a failure. Maybe you're not your standard Agorian, but maybe that isn't a bad thing. You're creative, strong, and braver than you give yourself credit for. You may not see yourself as a warrior but in your own way, you are. Just not conventionally.

"Clank will help you out with the technical stuff, but I know on the structural side of things you can pull it off."

Clank gave a nod of approval to the Agorian, agreeing with Ratchet's every word, but Kor'jack remained silent, trying to wrap his head around the Lombax's words.

This was the first time in his life that someone had such confidence in him and fed him such high praise. It was hard for him to believe any of it, thinking it was mostly a ploy to force him into helping with the makeshift core. People had used his good hearted and naive nature against him before. But…

It sounded sincere. It was one of the nicest things anyone had ever said to him in the longest time and he was taken aback from it. But after being ridiculed and berated for all his life it was hard to believe in himself.

"I-" The Agorain spoke again, still holding on to a nervous tone, "I suppose I can try, maybe? You said Clank will help, right?"

A smile stretched across Ratchet's face while Clank responded back, "Yes Kor'jack, I would be delighted to." He then turned back to the lombax, "We have two hours and forty five minutes left. It may be a challenge but we will work as fast as we can."

"Alright, you two should get to it then."

With that, Kor'jack followed the little robot out of the room, leaving only Ratchet and Qwark. The lombax turned to the other. "I'll extract those coordinates," and then asked, "You coming with?"

"Um, I…I think I'll stay here, where it's safe," Qwark answered. " _In fact_ , maybe I should help our Agorian friend with that Core," And with that, he left as quickly as he spoke. Ratchet just shook his head in a silent, frustrated response.

"Thought so…"

* * *

There was an escape pod deep within the snow with its hatch door facing upward. A _thump_ impacted the door. Then another.

One kick later, the hatch was forced open as Nefarious stuck his head out, checking his surroundings. He let out an irritated groan as he step foot onto this uncharted, icy wasteland.

"Of all the places I had to land." He mumbled under his breath.

"Speak for yerself," Jens peeked out as she continued ranting, only annoying the robot further, "I got dragged along!" She climbed out slowly until she slipped, falling into the snow. "Ah!"

"Dragged along?" Nefarious let out a bitter laugh, "You _invite_ d yourself along! You think I'd willing drag an annoying squishy such as yourself with me?"

"You pulled me in!"

"No, you slipped as the hatch door closed because you tried to pull me out!" He gave a snort. "Idiot."

The young girl got back up; wiping the snow off of her, "We should have stayed back to help."

" _Pff,_ The station was overrun with The Empire's goons and I wasn't going to stick around for a one sided fight. Besides, we would have been captured like the rest or killed if you 'stayed and helped'. For you, either one would have been preferable." He then noticed the girl shivering. "What's wrong with you?"

"I-it's cold!" She shouted, running up to Nefarious and clinging to him with the intent to keep warm only for her to jump up in surprise. "Yer even colder!"

"No kidding, sherlock, I'm made of metal," The robot forcefully shoved Jens off of him and she lost her balance, falling down to the ground. As she got back up she let out an angry snort.

"That's not the _only_ thing that's cold," she slurred under her breath. She rubbed her arms with each hand, teeth chattering as she took in her surroundings. "Wh-where are we anyways?"

He shrugged "Beats me. Not that I care."

Jens continued to scan the icy terrain before speaking, "Well, eit-either way, we're stuck here…"

Her ears popped up when she heard what she thought was the sound of thrusters. It wasn't until she turned around that she noticed Nefarious' boots roaring to life. He hovered off the ground with a smug grin stretched across his face as he saluted playfully. "Sorry, I think you mean _you're_ stuck here. _I'm_ getting off this rock," He turned around and started to fly off, "Enjoy getting frostbite, brat!"

Jens eyes widened fretfully at the sight of him flying away, "Hey, don' leave me!" She leaped, somehow managing to take hold of Nefarious' legs and she wrapped herself around them. Nefarious's frustration was palpable as he kicked at her in an attempt to make her dislodge her grip.

" _Hey!_ " Nefarious exclaimed, already far off the ground as he tried to shake her off, "Get your Squishie paws _off me_!"

"No!" she whined.

" _I SAID_ _ **GET OFF!**_ "

"Not until you say you're sorry and let me come with you!"

"Absolutely _not. N_ ow get off!"

"But it's cold, and dark, and scary and I don't know where we are!"

"Not my problem!"

The girl was on the brink of tears as she cried to him "Don't leave me here alone, Nef!"

His eyes started to twitch in anger, but it was clear the brat wasn't going to back down. "Okay. Fine," He shouted out as he gave in to her demands, "Now get off before you break my-!" And not a moment later, there was a heavy clunking sound coming from his thrusters. "Uh oh…"

The two both yelled as they tumbled back to the ground once the thrusters in Nefarious' boots gave out. Landing back in the snow, there was a small moment of silence before they both sat up. Jens turned to the robot with a cheeky, yet embarrassed smile. "Um, oops…"

His eyes squinted at her in a tranquil rage, but he didn't say anything. Nefarious started to get back on his feet before breaking the silence. "Whatever, let's just get going…"

The robot started to stroll, only to notice Jens walking toward the escape pod, climbing back inside.

"If you want to stay in there, fine with me, but don't expect me to do the same!" Nefarious exclaimed.

She popped back out. "No, I'm lookin' fer something."

"Looking for what?"

"Survival gear. You know, food, water. Lifeboats have that kinda stuff, so I'm assumin' the same goes for escape pods."

"Well, hurry up! I'm already not thrilled about babysitting you."

"Found it!"

Jens threw out a backpack which Nefarious kept his eye on once it hit the ground. He then looked back up to the girl, now carrying a coat over her shoulders. She leaped down while putting it on, zipping it up all the way. "There, that's better. Now let's see what we have here..."

She dug inside to see what essentials the pack contained. A few dry freeze food items, water, a pocket knife; your typical survival gear. "Perfect!" The only thing she took out was the knife, which she attached onto her belt. She thought it was best to arm herself anyway she could, thankfully even having her Shockbow on hand. During the commotion of the raid she had forgotten to put it away. Good call.

Nefarious started walking as she lifted the bag onto her back, dashing to catch up before returning to a normal pace. It was only then she noticed that he was carrying something in his arms, hidden by a cloth. She was too busy focusing on surviving that she forgot that he was holding on to it while traveling through space.

Curiosity got the best of her as she asked, "What ya holdin' Nef?"

He came to a sudden halt. "That's none of your concern."

Her ears drooped, tilting her head in suspicion. "Because that's _exactly_ how someone reacts to bein' asked 'what ya holdin'? Yer hiding somethin; what is it?"

He just kept walking, refusing to give her a reply, let alone an irritated stare.

"Hey, don' ignore me!" Jens ran as fast as she could and leaped up onto his back, causing the robot to lose his balance.

"GAH! What's with you climbing all over me! Get off you-"

His words were cut short as he fell face first into the snow, dropping the item with the rag unwinding, revealing a shimmering blue glow reflecting off the metal of his body.

Jens, who was still on top of Nefarious, felt her gaze drawn to the gentle glow. Her only response was a gasp at the sight of the sapphire sphere resting in the snow. It was the Nexus Core.

She glared back down at him furious.

"Is _this_ why yer in such a hurry to leave?!"

He let out a scoff as he pushed her off. "Don't butt into the things that don't concern you."

"Doesn' concern _me!_? This concerns me as much as it does you!"

"You believe I care what you think?" Nefarious got up and marched to the Core, picking it up and holding it around his waist. "Besides, would you rather _they_ got their hands on it?"

"So it can be in yers!?" Her eyes widened in disbelief. "I can't believe you would do such a thing!"

He sighed but he turned around to face her, giving her his full attention and laid his intentions down sternly but truthfully and as cooly as he could. "Listen kid, I'm _a_ supervillain. _A_ supervillain does 'evil' things. What did you _honestly_ expected from me? Form a circle and start singing Kumbaya?" The fact he had to explain this got on his nerves. And just from her expression, the robot could tell that she wasn't pleased by his answer.

This girl and her thought process were a mystery to him.

"Ratchet saved yer life! They gave you a second chance when they could have called the cops on you," she continued as she stomped closer to him, attempting to put her face in his as she stretched out her toes to try and reach his level in a failed way to assert her dominance, "And this is how yer repaying them?!"

"You aren't one to talk about morals here, princess. Do I have to remind you that you snuck into his ship just so you could tag along, even though he said no?"

"That's nothin' compared to what yer doing!"

"You really want to debate who's 'holier than thou'!? By all means! Doesn't mean I'm going to listen. If you keep on yapping though, it gives me a reason to dump your butt like Ratchet should have." He started to walk again as the girl followed, still frustrated by his actions.

"You know they're goin' to look for us, right?"

"Who?" It took him a few moments before it clicked. " _Oh_ , yeah, them."

"They have _an_ army, Nef. I'm sure they would send at least a few soldiers after us."

"A few isn't any more than we can handle. Besides, I got plans for this thing; they aren't going to take it out of my cold metal hands."

"Not afraid of a few soldiers yet y' ran," She mumbled under her breath before continuing, "And, yer 'plans' are…?" She put her hands on her hips and formed a pout.

" _If I_ tell you, I'll have to _kill_ you." Nefarious said in a playful tone as he put on a little smile, "Still want to know?"

Jens refrained from saying anything.

"Yeah, thought so."

" _Pff_ , I ain't afraid of you, Nef. If Ratchet finds us and I'm dead, yer gonna get in trouble…"

" _Oooo_ , what's he gonna do? Put me in a timeout?" He rolled his eyes but knew Ratchet was capable of doing _much_ worse. Though he wasn't going to let on to his concerns. "Trust me, I have no intention of killing you, so long as you don't tempt me enough. I know the score if I lay a hand on any of you Squshies. Hopefully we can get off this rock, sooner than later. If we find a ship with an escape hatch, I can launch off to the nearest planet with civilization or something. At least then you'll be out of my hands."

Jens tilted her head, giving him an amused smile. Nefarious just raised an eyebrow.

"Oh great, what did I say now?"

"Yer gonna get rid of me but where I can get help? _D'aw_ , you _do_ care for my safely." She ended with a giggle.

He sighed. _I didn't mean it like_ _ **that**_ _, idiot._ "Don't push it. As I said, I know better than to lay a hand on you." He then stomped off with the girl following after, but not before she rolled her eyes...

* * *

Ratchet sighed in frustration as he buried his face within his hands. "Qwark, for the last time, we're _not_ using _your_ decoy!"

Qwark was holding in his hands a 'Core'. Well, sorta. It was a crude Nexus Core drawn on a sheet of metal using some spare markers. "Why not? I think it looks authentic."

"It's done!" The lombax peaked through his hands, seeing Kor'jack and Clank who excitedly burst into the room. He put his hands down and relaxed as both he and Qwark gave them their full attention. The small robot appeared confident.

The Agorian however did not. "It's, um, not much, but...It's the best I could do."

As he presented his decoy, both of them looked at it with widening eyes.

In Kor'jack's hands was a near perfect replica of the Nexus Core, down to its shape, color, and casing. Even it's glow was bright and powerful.

"Clank helped with the glow and weight problems but... I, um, tried to do what I could from memory. Not sure if-"

"Kor'jack," Ratchet exclaimed proudly as he walked over to both of them, "This is amazing!"

The Agorian gave the Lombax a dumbfounded expression. "Really?"

"It's perfect." Ratchet gently took it from his hands, still in awe. "You have some mad skills, Jack!"

"I do?"

"Yeah! You did good, Jack," He then looked over to Clank, "Both of you."

A light smirk stretched across the Agorian's face. "You really think they'll buy it?"

"Not sure. Clank likely would be the one to ask."

"Zoni technology is not something one can easily replicate on their own," Clank added, "We had little options but we attempted to use an overloaded gravimetric warp drive as a power source. It was not ideal, but it is plausible unless they attempt to search for Zoni energy."

"Will they though? They don't seem careless." Ratchet brought a nervous hand to his face before muttering, "But what choice do we have?"

Kor'jack's smile turned back into a frown. "I guess I didn't do as good as I thought."

"Hey," Ratchet gave the Agorian a nudge on the arm, "You did a great job. Better than great, considering we're on a deadline."

"If you say so."

"I mean it, even if you believe otherwise." He then took in a breath before returning his gaze to Clank. "We shouldn't linger any longer. We've got less than a half hour left."

"Agreed."

"Let's...let's just hope we can get back in one piece." The two started to stroll over to the garage.

"Hey, wait up! I'm coming with!" The Agorian ran up to them and they stopped in their tracks.

"Jack, I think it'll be safer if you stayed here."

"Maybe, but," He pointed in Qwark's direction, "I feel safer with you than I do with him."

"Can't blame you there but we don't know what we're up against." Ratchet shook his head. "If this is a ploy to impress Jens by saving her, I-"

"Wait, _what_?!" He was taken back from the accusation, "N-no. I want to come because it's the right thing to do!"

The lombax tilted his head in response. "Yeah but this isn't like the infiltration on Raniver's station. We're going to the threat _directly_. We have no idea what we're up against and we're on thin ice as it is. We're going to have to fight if we want any chance to bust out Talwyn and Jens and the others. And if we can't save them then I don't want to unnecessarily put anyone else's life on the line."

"I'm coming!" The Agorian said sternly, "I-I just can't sit here and do nothing but watch from the sidelines. You and Clank and everyone else here are likely the closest I've ever come to a friend. And I don't want my friends to get hurt."

"Yeah but-" Ratchet didn't know how to rebuttal. It was obvious Kor'jack wanted to come but he could be a liability. It'd go against his better judgement to say otherwise.

"...Alright, if you want to, just know this could be a one way trip."

The Agorian nodded in agreement. The three continued to walk again and approached Aphelion. Ratchet hopped into the front seat with the other two following. The coordinates had already been entered while they were busy working on the Core so she was raring to take off. With the press of a few buttons, the engines roared and she flew out of the station. "I am ready whenever you are. I recommend buckling up."

"Don't worry Aphelion, just get us there safely."

"Affirmative." And without warning…

 _ **ZAP!**_

Flying through the wormhole, the speed forced everyone to sink into their seats. It wasn't until they arrived at their destination that they were released. Aphelion stopped so fast that Ratchet would have hit his head on the dashboard if not for his seat belt.

Dizzy, Ratchet turned around to the passengers, noticing Kor'jack upside down in his seat while Clank still grabbed the top of his.

"Everyone okay?"

"E-eyeah, I'm fine," Kor'jack covered his mouth feeling a bit queasy.

"Clank?"

"Yes, I am fine."

Ratchet then looked out the window, taking notice of their surroundings.

There was only an empty void with nothing but rocks floating about a deep red sky. It felt almost like they were back where that battle with Tachyon took all those years ago, if less present.

Did he put in the wrong coordinates? Did they give him faulty directions?

"There's nothing here."

"It is doubtful they would be so careless as to give us the wrong coordinates," Clank insisted.

"Yeah, still bad choice of real estate though. Why would they want to be in the middle of nowhere? Literally."

"It is in a hidden location. Unless coordinates are given, I do not see them having much uninvited company. They have a method of crossing dimensions, so supplies should not be a problem."

Kor'jack got back on his feet and sat back down before taking a glance outside. "Fuzzy guy, look!"

"What is it, Jack?"

The two turned to where the Agorian was pointing.

There stood a fortress in the middle of the empty space, and it was _massive!_ Almost as large as a city in itself. Ships flew in and out, big and small, be it patrolling or leaving to other points of interest. It was quite impressive.

"I guess that's it, but how do we get inside?"

"Incoming message!" Aphelion notified, "It is coming from the fortress!"

" _Attention visitor!"_ On Aphelion's holoscreen, a knight like robot soldier greeted them in a cold sounding tone. _"We were expecting your arrival and had you pinned once you entered the system. We are sending you escorts to lead you to the nearest shuttle depo."_

Two bulky, yet well equipped fighter jets rose from below them.

"Escort? Looks more like a firing squad to me," Aphelion remarked with disgust.

"Take it easy Aphelion; we don't want to piss these guys off."

"Hmph!"

After a period of tense flight, they finally approached the landing zone as Aphelion took the closest empty spot. Once parked, The two ships flew off and went back to patrolling the area. The hatch opened as Ratchet climbed out, followed by Clank and Kor'jack as they were approached by two guards.

"Welcome to The Empire HQ," one of them replied, "We hope to complete negotiations without any conflict, gunfire, bloodshed or death."

Ratchet leaned over to his friend. "Fun bunch, aren't they?"

"We _don't_ take _outsiders_ lightly, Lombax, and _we_ always stay alert! Cause we have orders to kill for the slightest of problem or disobedience of any of our instructions." The Guard gave his ally a nod and then turned back to Ratchet. "Did you bring the Core?"

"We aren't stupid enough not to."

"We ask you to discard any weapons of yours before meeting with the Empress." With a snap of their fingers, a few more guards appeared behind Ratchet and Kor'Jack, lifting the Lombax up by the legs and shaking him upside down, with a good share of his arsenal dropping to the floor. After making sure there was nothing else, they took his wrench from his hands and released him, causing him to crash to the floor and they began to search the others.

Ratchet let out a disgruntled growl. "For someone who's hosting a guest, you're terrible at it."

"Our house, our rules. Now, follow us," they replied harshly.

"Kor'jack, you wait here with Aphelion. We'll be right back."

"Um, okay," He gave a little wave as they took off. Kor'jack then stared over at the guards that were still here. He assumed they were watching Aphelion. _And_ him.

He attempted to appear relaxed as he leaned on one of the cargo boxes near him. "So, _um_ , nice fortress you have here?"

The guards didn't say a word. The closest he got to a response was one of them raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"...Yeah, I'm not the talkative type either." _Why did I even open my mouth..?_

* * *

Ratchet and Clank followed their escorts down the hall. Looking up, the skies were full of shuttles and other pathways above them. The architecture gave off a gothic feel with a modern touch, not much different from the factory Ratchet and Nefarious stormed back in Jens' home dimension but this time on a grander scale. It was quite a sight to behold.

They passed by workers, soldiers and more guards giving them a variety of different looks, if they bothered to look at them at all. They ranged to perplexed, to curious, and to downright disgusted. Ratchet was surprised to see a diverse collection of different aliens in uniforms matching the guards escorting him and Clank. He had expected more carbon copy robot soldiers but instead it was hard to find two soldiers who looked similar. There were multiple species that the two had never even encountered before. It seemed this empire really _was_ interdimensional.

They were still pacing along. It felt as if they'd walked forever now.

 _Seriously, how big is this place?_

Finally, the guards stopped at a building. The other guard, in a soft spoken voice, drasticity different from his colleague, gestured at the door and politely added, "The Empress will be waiting for you inside. Behave yourself, Lombax. We'd take no pleasure if this had to come down to violence."

"I'm _sure_ you wouldn't," Ratchet gave one of the guards a look before taking a step inside only for his ears to perk once they entered.

He heard the chords of classical music playing as they marched in slowly though the pillared rib hall, taking in their surroundings with caution.

They stopped at another door that was slightly cracked. The guards standing beside it gave the Lombax a small, friendly nod as they stood by their posts, gesturing to it.

Ratchet forced the door open, and inside was where they saw where the composition was coming from. At the far end of the room, he spotted a beautiful woman playing on the piano with grace. Her eyes were closed as her hands moved flawlessly over the keys. Vorselon was standing right beside her, with his elbows leaning on the piano as he rested his hands on his tank.

Both Ratchet and Clank looked at each other before stepping further inside. The woman didn't pay them any notice until they were almost by her. She paused, releasing her hands from the keyboard. She turned to face them, putting on a soft smile.

"Well, well, looks like our guests have arrived. Just in time too." Ratchet immediately recognized her from the hologram in the conversation they had eavesdropped on when they stormed Raniver's station. It was Lania.

"Time for what?" Ratchet spoke.

"Come now, you haven't forgotten about the deadline. I'd be worried if you did. No matter, you're here now," She got up from her seat and walked over to them, arms behind her back. "So, you're that infamous lombax hero I've been hearing about?"

"I'm sure your boyfriend filled you in on our encounters."

"In great detail…" She leaned slightly down to his level. "You don't seem like much though; at least, not the way Flint made you out to be."

"And you're Empress Lania I'm assuming? For how much Vorselon drooled over you, I expected you to be prettier."

Vorselon leapt over and lifted Ratchet by the collar, not taking that comment lightly. "Don't _you_ dare insult her, unless you want your head _served to her_ on a silver platter!"

"Flint, is that any way to treat our guests?" Lania said calmly. "Besides, I can take a little jab." She then returned her attention to the Lombax.

The Terraklon returned him to the ground with a disappointed snarl. "You're lucky she's more merciful than I am."

Ratchet stared him down before turning back to Lania, who now just noticed the little robot beside him. "And this, _toy,_ of yours?"

"His name is Clank. And he _isn't_ a toy." He replied sternly. "Where're Talwyn and the others?"

"You may see them once you hand over the Core."

"Not until I know Tal is safe. For all I know you'll send your attack fish after me once I give it to you."

"You are in no position to make demands, Lombax!" Vorselon's hands started to power up, "Show some re-"

" _Flint!_ "

By just seeing her face, he took a step back and lowered his arms.

"Thank you sweetie, but I can handle this." Lania gave him a nod, before focusing her attention back to the duo. She cleared her throat before continuing. "And how do _I_ not know you will keep _your_ end of the bargain? It works both ways, and we could spend all day arguing about it. Though, if that is going to be case, I'll gladly have Flint fetch it from you."

" _Oh_ , I would gladly do so-" Before Vorselon could move forward, Lania grabbed his cape to pull him back, preventing him from launching himself at Ratchet.

"Sure, you can let him. He's use to getting his nonexistent butt handed to him," The Lombax mocked.

"Don't test me, I'll kill you-!" Another tug later before he stopped struggling. Vorselon's eye twitched as Lania let go, trying to keep his cool.

Ratchet had to hold back a laugh. Just the sight of seeing Vorselon on a leash and restraining himself _for once_ was nothing more than amusing. Still, he shouldn't tempt him. Lania may have control of him now but if Ratchet said or did the wrong thing she could let him loose.

" _If_ you two are done playing cat and mouse, we can get back to business." She let out a long, drawn out sigh. "Very well, I'll take you to her; however, if you don't stay true to your word, my guards are at my beck and call. I'm sure I don't need to explain to you what would happen if you play any games."

She started to walk down another, and _thankfully_ , shorter hallway. Ratchet felt a tap behind him.

"Follow her," Vorselon growled, giving the Lombax a light shock before they started moving.

"You _should be_ careful Vorselon, I'm sure your _precious Lania_ here wouldn't approve of you killing me _just_ yet." The Lombax said sarcastically while his foe just stared daggers into him. However his amusement didn't last long as he returned his focus back to the woman and his tone became serious again. "You said you'll take me to Talwyn, but what about the others?"

Lania turned her head from the question. "Those two warbots? They're in the cells. And before you ask: They're safe and no harm has come to them outside of the fight they put up before their capture. I'll release them along with Ms Apogee once our business has ended."

Ratchet realised that Lania only mentioned Cronk and Zephyr and no one else. What happened to Jens? "Only them?"

"You sound disappointed. I was informed that there were no casualties and they were the only three left on the station."

It wasn't a straight answer, but if Qwark was hiding and Nefarious escaped, he only assumed that Jens wasn't one of those captured. Did she escape unharmed? Did she have the unfortunate luck to be stuck with Nefarious?

He hoped she was safe. And out of trouble…

She came to a stop and the three followed suit.

"Let me out!"

Ratchet noticed a pod in the back of the room with a girl inside, banging on the glass violently in an attempt to escape. It was Talwyn.

"Tal!" Ratchet tried to dash to the pod but was grabbed by one of the guards and pulled back. He tore his arm out of the guard's grip but didn't make another attempt to approach the pod.

Talwyn's eyes then widened at the sight of seeing her friends. "Ratchet, Clank! You came!"

"Of course we did! We do this kinda thing all the time on Kerwan, remember? Are you hurt?"

"I'll be better once I'm outta here!"

"Stay put, we're going to get you ou-"

"Not so fast, Lombax!" Vorselon pulled the back collar of the lombax's shirt and turned him around to look him directly in the eye.

"Ah, stop yanking me around! You can use your words, y'know!" Ratchet protested as he stepped back.

Vorselon ignored his complaint. "Just so you know, that pod is set to lift her off to any dimension the system chooses. I'd advise you _don't_ try to play us!"

He turned a horrified gaze onto Lania, silently pleading for her to deny Vorselon's claims.

"Flint speaks the truth, but it's simply a precaution. Though if it comes down to it, I am willing to do what is necessary."

Ratchet felt more pressured now than ever. He was torn by the thought of risking Talwyn over a decoy that Lania may not even buy. She didn't appear to be stupid; if something was even slightly off about the Core, Ratchet felt assured she would pick up on it.

"How do I know you won't launch that pod even if I hand the Core over?"

"I am a woman of my word Ratchet, but your distrust is understandable. I always keep my promises however, so rest assured that no harm will come to her or you. This I swear."

Ratchet had to think long and hard about this. Lania was a different breed of opponent than he was used to, but from experience he knew to take anything his enemy said with a grain of salt. She was _dating Vorselon_ after all! There was no hint of a lie in her tone and her movements didn't betray any sign of dishonesty, but still...

Could she _really_ be trusted?

After giving it some more thought, he sighed and bowed his head. "Then I'll stay true to mine."

She smiled. "Good that we're on mutual terms then," Lania then noticed that Vorselon was still holding onto the Lombax. "Flint, its okay, let go of him."

He looked at her, then back to Ratchet with nothing but a death glare as he finally let go. "As you wish, my lady."

"I do hope we do not regret trusting you, Empress Lania," Clank finally broke his silence. The small robot took the Core out of his chest compartment and handed it over to Ratchet. The Lombax walked over to her with the replica in his hands, still wary of doing so.

He just hoped this wasn't a mistake.

"Here. Now release her."

Lania gripped it, examining the Core through every facet, nook and crevice. The way it felt, the shape, the light from the center. The last thing she wanted was to be played as a fool. It certainly seemed like the Nexus Core.

Both the heroes waited nervously for a response, hoping that nothing would go wrong.

She didn't give it any more thought as she wore a grin. "It seems legit."

"Now, your side of the bargain."

"As promised. Guards!"

Ratchet jumped in his shoes, thinking he was going to be shot at.

"Yes, my lady!" Two of them walked over to them and stopped with a salute.

"Please release Miss Talwyn from her pod."

"Yes ma'am!" Both went over to the pod and started to get the gear they needed to open it. Ratchet breathed a sigh of relief.

"You know, _I_ was hoping you were lying. I would have had _so_ much fun tearing you apart." The Terrkalon said softly but sadistically, with a touch of disappointment, as he slithered back to Lania's side. Both the Lombax and little robot walked over to Talwyn all the while he just glared at them.

"Flint, you mind holding this for a second?" Lania gave Vorselon the Core as she walked over to her men, giving more orders.

Ratchet put his hands on the pod's glass as he greeted Talwyn with a soft smile. "Just hang on there a little longer."

"Ratchet, the Core? You shouldn't have-!"

"We'll worry about that later. First let's get you out of here."

Vorselon glared at the Lombax in confusion. This was all too easy. The fact Ratchet gave up the Core without a fight was concerning. Maybe it was because he did care deeply for this girl, but he had a feeling there was something more going on. Something he couldn't shake off...

" _Hmm._ "

He put his palm above the Core and scanned. There he found the answer he was looking for. "I knew it."

The guards walked up to Ratchet and the others with tools in their hand. "Pardon us, it shouldn't be long."

Lania stood as she watched until she felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to face the Terraklon. "Yes, Flint?" He whispered something into her ear. She eyed her troopers, as she tipped her head close to Vorselon, fixated on his every word. She immediately felt herself burn with shame and frustration with herself. "I should have checked for that. Thank you." Her hand formed an angry fist.

"Guards, belay that order!"

Ratchet twirled half way from the command to back down. "What do you mean belay the order? You said you were a woman of your word!"

She paced over to the Lombax, questioning. "And you said you would keep _yours._ Tell me Ratchet, what do you know about Zoni technology?"

Puzzled, he couldn't shake off the feeling he knew the reason for her to change her mind. They were treading on thin ice as it was. The Lombax answered her question regardless. "Not all that much, other than it's supposedly the most powerful tech in the known omniverse. Clank would know more than I do, though."

"And do you know how to find Zoni energy pulses? It's quite easy really."

Ratchet stared blankly, but nervously. "What are you getting at?"

"Pollyx Industries invented a device that can pick up Zoni energy pulses in their search for their technology. Thankfully that device has been installed into my right hand man." She turned to Vorselon with a smile before continuing. "This Core emits the energy signature of a gravimetric warp drive in its pulse, a device of no Zoni heritage whatsoever. You were off by .02 hertz." Her smirk turned to a frown as she looked back over to the Lombax. "Flint did tell me to be careful with you..."

Ratchet's body immediately tensed.

"Restrain them!"

Both Guards took him by the arms with two more coming over to get their hands on Clank.

"Your decoy was a cute idea, an almost perfect republica even. I will give you credit where it's due that it could have fooled anyone who was less careful."

Trying to get loose, Ratchet looked up right over to Vorselon, noticing he held a grin plastered on his face.

That smug bastard. Of course he figured it out. Even if his inflated ego hid it, he was both observant and manipulative. Once he figured out how to make you tick, it was just another tool in his arsenal to use against you. And after their many encounters, he was finally able to pick up on his.

"Let her go! It's me you want!"

"No, it's the _Core_ I want, _you_ are worthless to me." Lania replied, her tone getting louder as she drew a rapier from around her waist, and pointed it to his neck, "Now, answer me! _Where_ is the _real_ Nexus Core!?"

With her blade at his collar, he gulped. Ratchet didn't have an answer for her. At least one she would like.

"I-I don't know."

" _Don't_ lie to me!" She shouted at the top of her lungs, grinding her teeth in anger.

"I'm telling you the truth; it wasn't even at the station when we returned!"

Lania then aimed her weapon at Clank. "Do you know?"

"I - we are both telling the truth."

And with that, she put her rapier back in its sheath in silence and turned around before saying anything else.

"Send her off, location is irrelevant."

Ratchet gasped in disbelief which formed into rage soon after. He turned his head right behind him as the engines roared. "Tal!" He once again tried to get away from the grip on him. "Let go!"

The pod started to move slowly upwards. Talwyn banged and kicked on the glass violently hoping she could shatter it in time. A hatch opened on the ceiling where a portal opened up, only for the pod to be launched into it moments later, giving her no time to react as she flew into it. Then it closed shut, revealing the stars in space, as if it was never even there.

" _Talwyn!"_

Ratchet bowed his head to the ground, breathing heavily.

' _Talwyn…'_

"Let this be a lesson to you!" Lania drew her rapier again and put the blade to the Lombax's neck. "Those who refuse to cooperate or don't follow orders are severely punished, and you are no exception." She looked at his anguished face as she moved the blade over to his chest. Ratchet looked up to her.

"I'm sure you'll take it to _heart._ " And with that, she slashed her sword, leaving an open cut in the fabric of his suit. And then she calmly walked away.

Full of rage, Ratchet finally broke free and ran over to her with a fist bared and a scream on his lips. Before he could even strike a blow, Vorselon went between them, striking a hard, painful, and strong shock to the gut; causing the lombax to fall on his knees.

"Ratchet!" Clank shouted.

He wheezed, holding his hand on his abdomen as he glared up at both of them.

"Oh, _what's the matter_? Breathing a bit _difficult_ for you?" A dark laugh followed.

"You son of a-" Ratchet cut himself short with another gasp. "Lania, you said-Talwyn is-"

"I _told you_ I would release her if you brought me the Core on time. And I _told you_ I am a woman of my word. _She_ is gone because your risky plan backfired on you! Mistakes are costly. Did you seriously think you could just treat us like we're idiots and walk away with murder?"

"What _murder_? _You're_ the murderer!" Ratchet accused.

Lania slapped him straight across the face from that comment, catching him off guard.

"Don't you _dare_ accuse me of sacrificing people willing! Do you know how many good men and friends have died for me on the battlefield!? On missions that went wrong?! All to get where we are today! Never would I speak of them in vain, like you just did!" Her arm shook violently as it formed a fist. " _You_ think you're any better? How many people have _you_ killed?!"

That question caused his heart to race. "Don't compare me to you! I've watched you command people be hurt because they didn't give you what you wanted!"

"Oh, so you think your actions are justified? You think the many people you fought to stop one's end goal weren't innocent, didn't have families or love ones, were not just following orders? You think your actions are commendable because people call you a hero?"

He didn't add to her commentary. His teeth were tightly clenched as he listened to her.

A contemptuous look followed her statement. "Just as I thought..."

Ratchet would have punched her if he wasn't outnumbered by her men around him. Still, it begged the question…

"What do you want with the Core?"

"That is none of your concern." She let out a frustrated snort, still not over the Lombax's rudeness. She turned over to one of her men. "We need to get to work tracking it down. Inform-"

"Perhaps I can save you the hassle, my lady."

Cutting her off spoke another voice entering the room. Everyone turned around to see a short, heavy set robot in their wake, hands behind his back as he strolled over to them. Ratchet, Clank and even Vorselon's eyes widened.

" _Lawrence?!_ " All three shouted out in surprise.

Lawrence looked over to them with nothing but the same stoic expression that he always held. "Ah, Ratchet, Clank, quite nice to see you again. If only the timing were better." He then glanced over to the Terraklon, "Greetings to you as well, Lord Vorselon."

Vorselon growled as he turned to Lania, "Is this some kind of _joke_!?"

"You certainly have a way of making friends, don't you?" she muttered sarcastically.

" _He's_ the reason why I was stuck on that rock before you hired me in the first place! When did he come into play?"

"A few weeks ago, while you were tracing _their_ tracks," she pointed to Ratchet and Clank. "Our cleaning department needed spots filled. Seriously Flint, this shouldn't concern you; you're both in different divisions."

" _This_ concerns me because the very person who screwed me over is now _my co-worker_!"

"I do apologize for my actions months ago, Flint, but I was simply following orders given to _me_. I'm sure you can understand that?"

" _And_ you're _here_ now because-?"

"My band hasn't been as successful as I thought and money became tight. I saw a job opening and now I am here. But let us leave the past in the past. I'm sure we can put our differences aside, since we're colleagues again."

"Hmph." He crossed his arms with a pout before looking back to Lania, "I would like to talk to you about this later, _in_ _private_."

"You are not meant to be here, Lawrence." Lania said coolly. "Explain yourself."

"I overheard the conversation when I was travelling to Sector H, and as I was not too far from the data network, I decided to try to track down the Nexus Core. I found the location; it's in the hands of Doctor Nefarious on the Keedii Comet."

"And you thought that was enough reason to leave your post?" Still, she didn't challenge him further, satisfied by his claim he found the location. "Nevermind. Who is this doctor you speak of?" She raised an eyebrow.

"He was Vorselon's and my previous employer. The last I heard, he was dead, but he has seems to have a way of cheating death." Lawrence let out a drawn out sigh, "Imagine my surprise to discover he has teamed up with these rabble-rousers. Quite unlike him with his visceral hatred of organics, but that's nothing that concerns us right now..."

"You have a history then? How much caution should we give him?"

"Oh, not to worry; he's half as powerful as he use to be. And half as competent without my assistance. There isn't far to go on that comet, let alone anything left once the space pirates packed their things and left. I'm sure it would be easy to catch up with him."

"Thank you Lawrence, this is much appreciated." She turned to Vorselon, who was still busy moping, and she put on an intimate tone. "Flint, _sweetie_ , can you take care of this for me?"

His mood changed however, as a sinister grin stretched across his face. "It would be my _pleasure_ , my lady," He slithered out of the room, giving Ratchet a satisfied glare as he made his leave.

"My lady," One of her guards exclaimed, "We await your next orders. What do you want us to do with our _guests_?"

"Put this Lombax down in the cells with the other prisoners, until I decide whether or not to execute him. Either way, he can rot down there."

"And the other?"

She looked over to Clank, not sure what to do with him. Giving it some thought, she turned back to her men. "Melt him down for scrap metal. Melt their ship down as well."

Ratchet jumped at her words, terrified for his friends. With that command, the guards who had a hold on Clank took him out of the room. All the while the little robot struggled in their grip. Ratchet started running over before one of the guards pushed him hard to the ground. He looked up at Lania one more time feeling helpless.

"Please, don't do this. I'm begging you…"

Lania ignored his plea. She snapped her fingers, signaling her men to take the Lombax away.

"You said you weren't a murderer!" Ratchet recalled. "Please, don't melt down Clank or Aphelion! They're sentient! You'll be killing them! This was my idea - no one else's!"

Lania glared daggers into Ratchet. "Then let this be a warning to your allies, if they try to interfere." She turned away before announcing to her guards, "He's done here."

They lifted him up and dragged him down the hall. He didn't even bother to put up a fight...

* * *

Clank struggled unsuccessfully to break free from Lania's guards. They didn't bother looking at him as they walked through the compound.

"Wow, for a guy so small, he sure is determined," one of the guards said to the other.

"I hear that," the other one replied.

One kick later, the trooper let his guard down, causing him to lose his grip on the little robot. He grabbed his knee in pain as he glared down the hall, which Clank was now running through.

"After him!" The guards followed suit.

Clank sprinted to catch up with Ratchet as best he could. Once he turned and came to a corner he came to a stop. He quickly hugged the wall closest to him and peeked out around the corner. Down the perpendicular hallway stood troopers blocking his path. There were at least twenty of them. There was no way could he get past undetected. There was another hallway across from him, the one they came down earlier to the landing pad. He let out a gasp as realization struck him and he, remembered the order Lania gave.

"Aphelion! Kor'jack!"

Ratchet would have to wait. The least he could do now was stop Lania's guards from getting their hands on the others before he could attempt a rescue…

Finally reaching the exit, Clank realized Aphelion was no longer parked where they landed.

 _Oh no…_

He heard an explosion above him, as the remains of a fighter jet fell from the red sky above. There he spotted Aphelion, flying through the cloud of her missile's explosion and banking to the side, desperate to escape the others that were on her tail.

"I do hope those two come back soon," She said to her Agorian passenger, "I do not know how long I can hold them off for!"

Kor'jack tumbled around the cockpit, having had no time to buckle up in their rush, and was making desperate attempts to get hold of one of the seats in the ship. He let out jubilant noise when he finally managed to dig his claws into the backrest of one of the seats. As he sat back down, he quickly buckled up, still woozy from the maneuvers Aphelion had to pull to avoid fire. Lightheaded, the Agorian gazed out the window and noticed of Clank in the docking bay.

"I see one of them! It's Clank"

"Where?" Aphelion responded quickly, "I am a bit occupied!"

"Down there on the landing pad! But - I don't see Ratchet with him."

"I have him in my sights. Hold on! Engaging recovery maneuvers." She led the two remaining fighters through the skyscraper and dove to the base of the station. She headed through a narrow gap between two buildings and pulled up to avoid the ground. The jets couldn't match her agility and violently collided with the station.

Clank saw Aphelion come in for a landing at his position, so he ran to the end of the dock.

"Stop right there!"

More troopers finally made a run onto the landing pad. The little robot twisted back to see Aphelion approaching with the hatch open, just slow enough for him to make a jump for it. As the ship called out to him, he ran and leapt into the driver's seat. She closed the hatch and flew away.

"Clank, are you alright? Where is Ratchet?"

"Ratchet is still in the fortress, we have to go back for him!"

A second later, she shook from a rear impact; the anti-aircraft rockets had now been activated. The little robot stood from his seat, seeing four well equipped fighter jets following them with their cannons at the ready. Another hit knocked Clank back into his chair.

"Negative, we are outnumbered. I am barely holding it together now as is! As much as it pains me to say it, we have to make a jump out of here."

"But we cannot leave Ratchet, we need-!"

Another blast hit Aphelion. She tried her best to keep steady, but her engines were starting to give out.

"I am sorry, but we have no choice. He is a prisoner, and we will be shot down if we get anywhere near that fortress. If we do not survive now, we cannot rescue him later."

Clank didn't want to leave his friend behind, but he knew she was right. "I... I understand." He bowed his head and shut his eyes. Aphelion booted up the Dimensionator, and a few seconds later…

 _ **ZAP!**_

They were gone.

The guards at the docks took sight of the trail they left behind. The one leading the faction held his hand in a tight fist as he prowled his way through his men. Composing himself, he unclipped a communicator from his belt.

"Empress Lania, the robot and his ship escaped."

"What!?" She yelled through the speaker that the trooper had to cover his ear. "And _how_ did you let him escape!?"

"I have no answer to give you my lady. We apologize for being this careless. Do you want us to track him down?"

Lania just sighed in frustration. "No, he isn't a big enough threat to waste resources on. For now, all of you return to your post. The recon division is in charge of this matter now."

"Yes, ma'am…"

* * *

He flew across the room, hitting the cold floor below him. Ratchet turned back to the guards before the laser bars were engaged. They didn't wait around long before they left him to his own devices so they could return to other duties.

"Can you believe the nerve of that guy?" One of the guards spoke as they were stolling out the door. "Can you imagine if Murka or General Zein were there? That'd be a show."

"Either one of them would have torn him apart. I'm surprised the Empress didn't slit his throat right there! It's what I'd do. To make such vulgar assumptions about someone - it's vile!"

"Yeah, except you're not the Empress. You know she'd wouldn't do that. She doesn't kill people over petty insults. It's an abuse of power."

"Well, if I were in her position I wouldn't tolerate anyone making such heinous claims."

"That's why _she's_ the Empress and you just follow orders."

Once the guards were out of view, he got up on his knees, darting his eyes to the ground. He thought about trying to bust the the wall open, but without his weapons all he would gain would be swollen, possibly broken knuckles.

Their defeat clouded his mind. Never had he felt this hopeless or weak. Not since Clank was kidnapped years ago. He thought he had everything under control, that even if their plan failed he would be able to improvise in order to pick himself up and get back on his feet. But this time…

"Hey rookie!"

Ratchet heard a familiar voice coming from the cell next to him. "Cronk?"

"Ha!" Zephyr shouted out in glee. "We knew you'd return for us, though it seems as if you got yourself in a bit of trouble yourself."

"Yeah, you can say that," the Lombax said in dull tone.

"Well, even if we're trapped in here, can you tell us if Miss Apogee is alright? We'd hope she'd be down here with us bu-"

"She's gone…"

The atmosphere in the room seemed to grow so heavy that Ratchet suddenly felt it harder to breathe. "What?" he heard Cronk ask in an uncharacteristically quiet voice.

"She's gone. They're all gone. I couldn't save her…"

"...Ratch-"

"I'm sorry…"

 **-End Chapter eleven-**


End file.
